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I 



VIAVI HYGIENE 

EXPLAINING 

THE NATURAL PRINCIPLES 

UPON WHICH 

THE VIAVI SYSTEM OF TREATMENT 

FOR 

MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN 

IS BASED. 



M 






( Revised Edition ) 



PUBLISHED BY 

The Viavi Company, Inc. 

San Francisco, California, U.S. A. 
1908 



&\ 



^ 



U6KARY of COaSSfssJj 
Iwft Gomes Hw;i' 

OCT 16 W« 

Copyright, 1899 
By H. & H. E. Law 






Copyright, 1905 
By H. & H. E. Law 



Copyright, 1908 
By The Viavi Company, Inc. 



Registered at Stationers' Hall 
London, England 



To Those 

Who Have Secured Health by Means of 

The Via vi System of Treatment 

and TO 

Those Who Devote Their Lives 

To Its Promulgation 

This Volume 

Is Respectfully Inscribed. 



CONTENTS 



Chapter Page 

I. Life's Responsibilities . . . .11 

II. Heredity and Environment ... 14 

III. Activity, Rest and Sleep . . . .21 

IV. Sunshine and Air . . . ... 28 

V. Regular Habits ...... 32 

VI. The Nervous System and the Back . . 38 

VII. The Circulation ...... 46 

VIII. Congestion, Inflammation, Absorption . 53 

IX. Mental States ...... 59 

X. Nervous Debility ..... 63 

XI. Insomnia 72 

XII. Catarrhal Conditions .... 79 

XIII. The Lungs 90 

XIV. The Stomach 100 

XV. The Bowels 107 

XVI. The Rectum . . . . . 112 

XVII. The Liver 123 

XVIII. The Kidneys ... 126 

XIX. Bladder and Urethra ..... 128 

XX. Varicose Veins and Ulcers . . . 134 

XXI. Eye and Ear 137 

XXII. Wounds, Sprains, Burns, etc . . 145 

XXIII. Parental Responsibility . . . .149 

XXIV. A Talk with Men About Women . . 157 
XXV. Education Desired . . . . .178 

XXVI. The Development of Girls ... 182 

XXVII. The Generative Organs of Women . . 188 



Chapter 




Page 


XXVIII. 


Menstruation . . . ... 


195 


XXIX. 


Painful Menstruation 


. 201 


XXX. 


Absent Menstruation 


218 


XXXI. 


Curetting ...... 


. 223 


XXXII. 


The Non-Development of Girls 


227 


XXXIII. 


Leucorrhea ..... 


. 236 


XXXIV. 


The Vagina ..... 


241 


XXXV. 


Inflammation of the Womb . 


. 247 


XXXVI. 


Enlargement of the Womb 


254 


XXXVII. 


Displacements of the Womb 


. 258 


XXXVIII. 


The Fallopian Tubes 


272 


XXXIX. 


The Ovaries ..... 


. 275 


XL. 


The Peritoneum . . 


288 


XLI. 


The Abdominal Walls .... 


. 297 


XLIL 


Pregnancy .... 


302 


XLIIL 


The Infant's Nourishment . 


. 316 


XLIV. 


Laceration ..... 


324 


XLV. 


Miscarriage .... 


331 


XL VI. 


Barrenness . ... 


335 


XL VII. 


The Change of Life .... 


. 338 


XL VIII. 


Tumors ...... 


343 


XLIX. 


Cancer ...... 


. 351 


L. 


Forms, Uses and Hygiene of Viavi . 


365 



VIAVI HYGIENE 



CHAPTER I. 



LIFE'S RESPONSIBILITIES 

LIFE is not a burden to be borne, nor living a task to 
be done. Life belongs not to us alone, to be 
wasted or improved as may best suit our incli- 
nations. We have the social instinct strongly 
developed, and must therefore have duties to others as 
well as to ourselves. This law of our being is one of the 
fundamental principles of all the great religions. 

The obligations of life divide themselves into those 
which we owe to ourselves, and those which we owe to 
others. We cannot discharge our duty to others unless 
we first discharge our duty to ourselves. We cannot be 
useful unless we make of ourselves all that it is our duty 
to make. The responsible person who is negligent of his 
health, wasteful of his powers and careless of the habits 
that build or destroy body and character, is not only 
useless as a member of society, but beyond a certain 
limit a pernicious influence. The first principle of right 
living concerns our personal conduct. 

The first lesson to learn is right per- 

Regarding Life's sonal 'living. A prime essential is a 

Source knowledge of the laws of our being. 

We can acquire this by realizing that 

life is a wonderful, mysterious thing, representing the 

highest intelligence and skill that Nature exercises. The 

fact that its origin, development and decay are beyond 

our comprehension makes us instinctively turn to the 

great unseen Father and worship Him as God. Were it 



12 YIAVI HYGIENE 

not that we recognize the necessary existence of this great 
power, there would be no religions, and none of their en- 
nobling influences. The danger is that in giving reverence 
we neglect obedience; that though we fast and pray, we 
violate God's mandates as written in Nature's laws, and 
by unwise living betray a trust and invite disease. We 
cannot truly love and reverence God without loving and 
reverencing Nature, and this in turn is not possible unless 
we understand so. much of it as is essential to intelligent 
living, and we cannot acquire this intelligence without 
study and contemplation. 

When a friend gives us a present, 
Life Is Really merely for the purpose of showing his 
a Trust affection for us, and not for the pur- 

pose of enriching us, it is the giving 
that we appreciate more than the gift; but when a friend 
presents us with a gift of great value, it becomes a trust, 
and we turn attention to the gift, and develop its possi- 
bilities. 

It is so with life; it is a trust, the greatest of all trusts; 
and hence, while venerating the source from which it 
came, we cannot show loyalty and gratitude unless we 
put our hearts and minds into developing the possibilities 
of the trust. This idea is beautifully illustrated in the 
parable of the talents. The one who buried his talents 
imagined that he was showing the highest form of grati- 
tude to his master by placing the gift in a safe place; but 
the master condemned him, and- praised the one who 
invested his talents. The first one regarded his talents 
as a gift, the second regarded his as a trust. 

The readiness with which the great 

Nature Demands masses of humanity break the plainest 

Obedience natural laws is evidence that they have 

not been properly taught. It is in 

youth that the sins are committed; it is in middle life and 

old age that the punishment is imposed. If violations of 

natural laws brought immediate penalties, they would be 

avoided. An infant puts its finger in the candle, but the 

punishment for the indiscretion is so immediate that one 



LIFE'S RESPONSIBILITIES 13 

experience is sufficient for a lifetime. Many of the diseases 
that shorten life or fill it with uneasiness and anguish, 
are the slow punishment that comes after the lapse of 
years. Because the young and those in vigorous health 
see no immediate bad results from their violations of 
natural laws, they conclude that their acts are proper and 
that no punishment will accrue. It is thus easy to fall 
into the way of repeating the offense, in ignorance of the 
fact that every one of them will be punished in the years 
to come. 

One who knows right living and fol- 

Good Results of lows it is not only strong, wholesome, 

Knowledge and a useful member of the family and 

society, but his or her example is a 
power for good. There is none so poor or humble but 
that his good example inspires to right action and his 
bad example to evil. 

Everything that we do is either right or wrong. 
There is no middle ground. Those who show that they 
have knowledge lead others to seek it. It is one's duty 
to be as healthy as possible, and this duty cannot be dis- 
charged unless knowledge is secured. It is never really 
hard to do one's duty, and it is one's duty to learn. The 
acquisition and possession of knowledge bring a satisfac- 
tion and a power that the ignorant miss. The more one 
knows how to live intelligently, the more contented, 
more useful and more prosperous one can become. 



CHAPTER II. 



HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 

HEREDITY 

LIKE produces like. Roses are never propagated 
from figs. Human beings produce human beings, 
and nothing else produces them. That estab- 
lishes heredity. In its stricter application it 
means that special qualities in the parents will be repre- 
sented in the children by tendencies to the development 
of those qualities. The fact that broad characteristics, 
both physical and mental, are transmitted, creates the 
presumption that a child will be born with a tendency to 
develop any strength or weakness that one or both of its 
parents possess. 

A farmer, in selecting plants from which to save seed 
for the next year's planting, does not choose them indis- 
criminately, nor does he defiantly select the weakest on 
the theory that it makes no difference. He selects the 
largest and strongest plants to furnish seed. Thus 
improved varieties are constantly being brought out. 
This law runs through Nature, and is called the law of 
natural selection, one of whose manifestations is the 
tendency of the strong to breed with the strong. 

We are compelled to believe that the 
Their Influence strongest and finest parents will pro- 
Is Strongest duce the strongest and finest children. 

It is an old aphorism that "the mothers 
of great men have themselves been great." This is 
because mothers have much more to do with de- 
veloping the transmitted qualities of children than fathers 
have. The child is a part of the mother's body during 
pregnancy, and as such part it receives the nourishment 
which she chooses, has the same blood in its veins that 



HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 15 

fills hers, and is subject to the nervous conditions that 
affect her. After the birth the physical relation is main- 
tained to a slighter degree in the fact that the child draws 
its nourishment from her breasts. Even after all that 
comes to an end, she is the constant custodian of the 
child, and as imitation is an essential part of our natures, 
the child's character will be moulded in a large measure 
by hers. 

The first and most evident truth is 

Source of Manly that physical qualities are transmitted. 

Strength Thus, blond parents have fair children. 

As a rule, large parents have large 
children, or children who grow to be large. Parents 
descended from a line of hard manual workers will have 
children with large, strong bones. We all know that the 
ranks of the achievers in life — those who rise to the heads 
of great enterprises and movements — are largely recruited 
from the people who have lived for generations under 
simple and wholesome conditions. 

People who live natural, intelligent lives are likely to 
be healthy, in spite of inherited weaknesses, for the reason 
that Nature's efforts are alw T ays bent to correct errors and 
produce a higher type. A good deal of bad living is 
required to overcome this natural tendency, but most 
people live a good deal worse than they think. If our 
ancestors have handed down certain tendencies to us, and 
we realize that those tendencies are bad, we are placed 
under the strongest kind of an obligation to live in such 
a way as to overcome them and transmit only good 
tendencies to our offspring. So it is evident that no 
matter from what point of view we regard this subject of 
heredity, our manner of living is an essential part of it. 

While size is of no value in the ordinary 

Vital Force the struggles of life, strength is. By 

Foundation strength is meant not only good bone 

and muscle, but that deeper strength 

which is found in the ability to resist the evil effects of 

conditions which militate against strength. If one takes 

cold easilv one is not strong, though one may be able to 



16 VI AVI HYGIENE 

fell an ox. Men and women of apparently splendid 
physical development succumb under conditions which 
seemingly much weaker ones resist. By strength is 
meant vital energy. We often see in human beings so 
powerful a vital force that it holds death at bay for hours 
or days longer than a weaker person could live. It may 
not be merely a question of will force, though that in 
itself is one of the greatest and is capable of extraordinary 
development, but of vital energy, — the recuperative power 
born in us, which we may develop or destroy, and in turn 
transmit as a strong or a weak force. 

An abundance of vital energy is one of the most use- 
ful possessions. If we have the recuperative vital power, 
we have the ability to resist disease, and to overcome it 
if it attacks us. 

By living aright we cultivate the natural power to 
resist or overcome disease, and by cultivating it in our- 
selves we can transmit the tendency. 

Our mental qualities are in a large 

Bodily Soundness measure limited by our physical. There 

Essential are a great many bright persons with 

weak and ailing bodies, but we can 
well imagine that their minds would be stronger and 
brighter if they had physical stamina. Although some 
of the brightest geniuses have had weak and sickly bodies, 
the work which they did has rarely had an ennobling and 
refining influence; it has been largely misanthropic, or 
lacking in balance. Most of the best workers for mankind 
have had splendid bodies. 

Emotional qualities seem to be oftener 
Mind Hampered transmitted than mental ones. This 
by Disease may be because the emotions are more 
fundamental. But as the emotions are 
a powerful factor in determining the value and character 
of the mental qualities, it is evident that in order to 
secure the transmission of the best mentality, the sound- 
est emotional natures must be cultivated. The emotions 
have a strict relation to the physical condition. A woman 



HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 17 

with a very strong, bright mind may become hysterical 
from some ailment and all her mental- qualities go for 
naught. Nervousness is not associated with mental 
powers, but has the effect of hampering them and pre- 
venting their development in both men and women. 

If we violate natural laws, we transmit 
Parents Affect to our children the tendency to do like- 
Children wise. Doubtless much suicide is due 
to the practicing ol methods to evade 
maternity. Abortion is the deliberate taking of human 
life, and its practice tends to the transmission of a disre- 
gard for the sacredness of life. 

As a sound mind goes with a sound body, it is essen- 
tial that we cultivate sound bodies if we desire to bear 
children with competent minds. 

Immoral habits of thought and conduct produce a 
like tendency in offspring. It is much easier for the 
morals to go wrong if the body and mind are weakened 
by disease. There are deformities of the mind and 
morals as well as of the bodies, and they are much more 
easily transmitted. If we try to do right and to think 
right, our children will inherit the tendency to strive for 
the same ends. It is our duty to recognize this tendency 
and to cultivate it. In the short span of life allotted to 
us, we can begin a tendency which will turn aside all the 
evil tendencies which we have inherited. We can start 
a new line of good tendencies stretching throughout the 
eternity before us. Our lives are not only for the few 
years allowed us. The influence of each, whether good 
or bad, stretches forward forever, and is potent even 
though we do not have children. 



ENVIRONMENT 

Heredity is the essential part of our nature that comes 
with our birth; environment is the external circumstances 
of our lives. The traits and tendencies which we inherit 



18 VIAVI HYGIENE 

have been transmitted to us, and their nature has been 
determined for us. Many are good, others are bad; but 
it is a wonderful law of Nature that the good tends to 
overcome the bad, whether physical, mental or spiritual. 
Our knowledge of this makes us responsible creatures, for 
we know that by cultivating the good and suppressing the 
bad we can constantly grow better. We may easily fall 
into the habit of ignoring what is good in our heritage, 
cultivating what is bad, and thus drift into evil which 
leads to ruin. 

A strong inherited character has the ability to bend 
the circumstances of life to suit its own demands. Many 
of the greatest achievements have been accomplished 
under the most disadvantageous circumstances. Burn- 
ham, the brilliant American astronomer, was a hard-work- 
ing court stenographer, having time to study astronomy 
only at night and with a small telescope which he himself 
mounted in the crudest fashion; yet he became the great- 
est discoverer of double stars that the world has produced. 
History is full of such cases. The stronger the inherited 
traits, the greater the ability to overcome disadvantageous 
circumstances. If we wish our children and children's 
children to be great in the struggle of life, we must see 
that they inherit from us all the health and strength and 
will that it is possible for us to transmit by intelligent 
living. 

On the other hand, a nature born with 
How Power Is a feeble will and no ambition nor pride, 
Instilled will yield most readily to the influence 

of its environment. It frequently hap- 
pens that this environment is wholesome and uplifting, 
but this is opposed to the general scheme. All religions 
understand the value upon character of self-denial and 
work. All the saints led lives of the severest austerity 
and activity. To be born to a life of ease means generally 
to be born to a life of idleness. If it does nothing worse 
it prevents a development of the good within us, which 
needs exercise for its growth and strength. 

It is a law of Nature that every living thing must be 
put upon a strain. If it is not sufficiently strong, it must 



HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 19 

break and give room to something that is. Nature is 
a swarming beehive of activities. Idleness is a disease 
within its economy, and it will leave nothing untried to 
thrust it out. The stress and strain are constant and 
severe. Competition is as strenuous in every depart- 
ment of life as among the shrubs and trees of the forest. 
From this come strength, agility and courage. If the 
strain is greater than can be borne, we go dowm. 

As we are social creatures, we are 
Fault in Modern imitative. The son, instinctively long- 
Education ing to be a man like his father, will 
imitate his father's virtues and vices. 
Young men thrown together in cities and colleges drift 
into a common way of thinking, talking and acting. 
The spirit of enterprise and discovery in the young urges 
them to see and touch forbidden things. Added to this 
is a spirit of adventure inherent in the blood, and it is 
useful if wisely directed. 

This renders the environment of the young a very 
important matter. The more fascinating it is, the 
stronger it acts as an element in determining character 
and the development of life. If its nature is wholesome, 
its effects will be wholesome, for good comes out of good, 
but evil comes out of evil. Like produces like. 

Those who imitate least are those who have the strong- 
est wills. If we were solely imitative, none of us would 
think of making those great departures which indicate 
distinctive individualities, and out of which all great 
individual achievement arises. It is the men and women 
of distinctive individualities who do the thinking for the 
world, who make the discoveries, who build railroads, 
who paint great pictures and write great books, who 
probe into the secrets of Nature and drag them forth for 
the benefit of mankind, and who do all the other noble 
and inspiring things that make of the world an eternal 
spectacle and delight. The more easily people adapt 
themselves to the conditions about them the less they 
care for something different, and yet something different 
miffht be something better. 



20 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The deductions which we can draw 
What We Can Give from this brief glance at heredity and 
With Life environment as determining factors in 

life ' are that while we may inherit 
tendencies from our parents and remoter progenitors, we 
may transmit to our children and their progeny, qualities 
which are determined by our own thinking and living; 
that the more intelligently we think and live, the greater 
will be the benefit to our offspring; that we can live so as 
to make them or break them to a large extent; that 
heredity and environment react upon each other; that 
the stronger the inherited qualities, the greater the 
power to bend circumstances to the purposes of life; 
that the weaker the inherited qualities, the greater the 
danger that the influences of the environment will be 
evil, and that every sense of right and duty urges us to 
live so that our offspring shall come into the world 
equipped for its severe struggles and trials with all the 
ability that it is possible for us to hand down. 



CHAPTER III. 



ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 

WE ACQUIRE the essentials of strength from 
food, water, air and light. This we develop by 
activity, and in this way secure vigor and 
endurance, and conditions antagonistic to dis- 
ease. Everything that is created with the power of 
activity must be exercised. 

As activity means a consumption of strength, as well 
as its development, there must be something to compen- 
sate for the loss. This compensation comes from food, 
air, sunshine and rest. Normal activity, if uninterrupted, 
consumes strength more rapidly than it can be produced. 
The simple state of consciousness does that. Sleep is a 
form of rest. 

It is easy to cripple our forces with 
Exercise and Rest insufficient rest and sleep. Napoleon 
Essential was worn out while still a young man, 

because he had accustomed himself to 
only four hours of sleep a day during the time of his 
greatest activity. Gladstone retained his wonderful 
vigor to the last; in his later years he is said to have slept 
seventeen hours a day. Hard work is never hurtful in 
health, if the sources of strength are intelligently em- 
ployed, and the recuperative powers have proper exercise. 
If anything to which the power of activity has been 
given is not exercised, it will drift toward disintegration 
and death. Prisoners in solitary confinement become 
weak-minded because the higher forms of their mental 
activity have been suspended; external impressions no 
longer stir the brain centers to activity. If we tie up one 
of our arms, it will wither. 

Much more rest is required in disease than in health. 
Disease prohibits a full employment of the sources of 



22 VIAVI HYGIENE 

strength, and checks the development which brings 
strength. Strength is consumed by the system in its 
efforts to overcome the disease, and the poisonous pro- 
ducts of disease require strength to eliminate them. 

Helpful exercise is just as necessary as rest and sleep. 
Most work is helpful if it is wisely done. Best of all is 
outdoor work or exercise. A walk every day is highly 
beneficial. It is stimulating; the nervous system responds 
to the exhilaration. As a consequence, the circulation 
and the activity of the organs are wholesomely increased, 
digestion is promoted, elimination of waste is made more 
thorough, and the pleasant impressions generated bring 
a good effect. 

In resting, the entire body should be 

How Rest May Be relaxed, for if there is any part of it 

Secured at work or on a strain, except the vital 

organs, a draft is being made upon the 
strength. The best rest is taken lying down. The 
clothes should be thoroughly loosened, so that there will 
be nothing to interfere with the free circulation of the 
blood. A place free from noise should be chosen if pos- 
sible, for every sound gives the auditory nerves some 
work to do, and is an irritation. The mind should be 
relaxed. If it shows any tendency to wander upon dis- 
agreeable or fretting subjects, it should be led to dwell 
upon something pleasant, for every unpleasant thought 
consumes strength. The room should be made as dark 
as possible, because light gives the optic nerves some 
work to do and thus consumes strength, besides being an 
irritant. 

In resting while lying down, the couch or bed should 
be perfectly comfortable. Care should be taken not to 
contract a cold. The body should be level, for if the 
upper part of it is raised the bowels will be crowded down. 
If a pillow is used, it should be small, so that the blood 
can have free access by gravity to the brain, and should 
not be soft and heating. The abolition of voluminous 
pillows has helped to cure many a backache, because such 
pillows prevent perfect rest of the spine throughout its 



ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 23 

whole length. On warm days it will be found restful, 
while lying on the back, to place a moderately large, hard 
pillow under the knees; this is especially beneficial where 
there is a tendency to swollen feet and legs, and varicose 
veins. If a person employing the Viavi system of treat- 
ment will rest in this manner for half an hour every 
afternoon, and, if necessary, in the forenoon as well, 
progress will be much more rapid and otherwise satis- 
factory. 

Double beds account for much of the 

Separate Beds nervous instability that is so prolific a 

Necessary cause of disease and so stubborn a 

hindrance to recovery. Every person, 
sick or well, should sleep alone. This is urged especially 
in the case of women who are pregnant, nursing, or af- 
flicted with any trouble peculiar to their sex. By so 
doing, one may expect better results from adopting the 
Viavi system of treatment. Where individual rooms 
are not possible, it is best that father and sons have 
separate beds in a room, mother and daughters in 
another, the freest possible ventilation being provided for. 

In diseases which create a nervous con- 
Common Resort dition and interfere with sound, re- 
to Narcotics freshing sleep, the temptation to use 
some kind of sleeping drug is exceed- 
ingly strong. Indeed, it is a common practice to prescribe 
drugs that have the effect of depressing the heart or 
deadening the nerves and stupefying the brain, and thus 
inducing unnatural sleep. In many cases the sufferer 
afflicted with insomnia is told what preparation he is 
given to induce sleep, and when one cannot sleep naturally, 
and is in great need of sleep, it is assumed that the use 
of the preparation is ri^ht. Believing this, one comes to 
rely upon this artificial relief from torture, and thus be- 
comes confirmed in the habit. In other cases the drug 
is concealed under some symbol or unrecognized name in 
a prescription, and the victim is unaware that it is being 
taken. Many other sufferers resort to sedatives, simply 
because they are so easily accessible and cost so little and 



24 VIAVI HYGIENE 

are used by so many other persons. Many carry about 
with them pellets, tablets, wafers, salts, or what not, 
that are made to ease headaches or soothe or stimulate 
the nerves, and are ignorant of the fact that they are 
using destructive agents. 

The controlling power of every function of the body 
is the nervous system. Even pain is evidence that the 
nerves are alive to their duties, for pain is Nature's 
notice that something has gone wrong which demands our 
attention. Pain is intended to be the educator of our 
conduct. If an infant, lured by the beauty of a candle- 
flame, thrusts its finger into it, the flame will injure the 
tissues and nerves. Therefore, Nature provides that the 
nerves whose business it is to guard the welfare of that 
finger shall instantly inform the brain that a mistake has 
been made, that an injury is being done. The brain 
immediately sends out, over another set of nerves, the 
impulse that causes the infant to withdraw its finger and 
thus stop the harm. 

Pain is essential to an intelligent care of the body 
and its preservation from harm. 

Upon the integrity of the nervous sys- 

Effect of Drugs tern depends the perfect condition of 

on Nerves every part, organ and function. Any 

drug that has the effect of numbing 
pain or inducing sleep lowers the tone of the entire 
nervous system, and thus impairs its integrity. The 
result is physical deterioration and an aggravation of 
any disease that may be present. This is true with regard 
not only to physical conditions, but also with the mind 
itself. Thought is a function of the brain, just as the 
secretion of bile is a function of the liver, or the secretion 
of gastric juice is a function of the stomach, or as the 
contraction of muscles in the various acts of the body 
and its members is a function of the motor nerves, or as 
the transmission of the sensation of pain is a function of 
the sensory nerves. The ability of the brain to perform 
its function in the production of ideas depends strictly 
upon the condition of the brain. As the brain is the 



ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 25 

grand center of the nervous system, it receives all the 
bufferings and sustains all the injury that any nerve or 
set of nerves may suffer. When a pain-alleviating or 
sleep-inducing drug is taken into the system it enters the 
circulation and is thus distributed to every part of the 
body. Not only is every nerve in the system affected by 
it, but the brain is affected both through all the nerves 
and through a direct attack of the drug upon it. As a 
consequence, an impairment of the function of the 
brain — thinking — is unavoidable, and the longer and 
oftener this injury is inflicted the more seriously the 
mind will be affected. 

Anything relieved of the work that 

How Habit Is Nature intended it to do, will event u- 

Confirmed ally lose the power to work. This is 

as true of the nerves as of everything 
else. If, by the use of pain-deadening drugs, we impair 
or destroy the ability of the sensory nerves to convey 
impressions of pain to the brain, we shall not be properly 
informed when matters are going wrong, nor when dan- 
ger and injury are present, and hence the mind will not 
know that anything is to be done to avoid danger or to 
prevent or repair injury. Many drugs taken to alleviate 
pain have that effect. Others bring relief by lowering 
the heart's action, thus reducing pressure in congestion; 
they weaken the heart and stint the blood supply to the 
whole body, thus doing extensive harm. 

Likewise, sleep is a function of the nerves, and a 
desire for sleep is a notice given to the brain that rest and 
recuperation are demanded. The brain thereupon directs 
that measures be taken to secure sleep. A bed is pre- 
pared, and we invite the sleep that the mind has ordered. 
If the nerves come to depend upon some artificial agency 
they will give a false and unnatural impression to the 
brain, and the brain, thus deceived, will produce a false 
and unnatural idea. The longer and oftener this decep- 
tion is practiced upon the brain, the less will grow its 
power to functionate normally in the production of 



26 VIAVI HYGIENE 

natural ideas, and the more confirmed, therefore, the 
false, unnatural and pernicious reliance will become. 

Some administer pain-deadening and 

Why Narcotics sleep-inducing drugs out of pity, and 

Are Given often with the belief that sleep by any 

means is better than none. As their 

skill is insufficient to produce natural sleep, they are 

forced to resort to artificial means, many of them being 

aware of the fearful risks they are running and of the 

immediate harm they are doing in order to secure the 

good at which they aim. It is the best they can do. 

The aim of theViavi system of treatment 
Natural Means is to assist Nature to remove the diseased 
for Sleep condition which causes sleeplessness. 

Pain and nervousness cease naturally 
with the removal of their cause, and the necessity for bane- 
ful drugs is obviated. Through the education of the mind, 
the strengthening of the normal forces and the building up 
of the nervous system, it explains the value of pain and aids 
its endurance. Sleep is one of the first and most salient of 
its good effects. Many afflicted ones, who had suffered tor- 
tures from insomnia, secured their first night's sound, sweet, 
restoring sleep after the first few days' use of the treat- 
ment; and the start thus made was not interrupted. This 
result may not be produced so quickly in all cases. 

The reason why the Viavi system of treatment induces 
naturaland therefore beneficial sleep is evident. If the treat- 
ment contained any narcotic principle, the very end to 
which it is directed would be defeated, and the cures that it 
has assisted Nature to effect would have been impossible. 
It will thus be seen that sleep is not induced directly, 
as with drugs, but indirectly, by establishing natural 
conditions. The treatment follows natural laws instead 
of violating them, and establishes a natural condition by 
natural means. Such conditions can never be established 
by artificial means. Natural sleep can never be induced 
by drugs. Disease can never be overcome by resort to 
unnatural measures, and health can never for long be 
maintained under unnatural conditions. 



ACTIVITY, REST AND SLEEP 27 

For the same reason that the use of the 
How Activity Is Yiavi system of treatment establishes 
Encouraged conditions leading to rest and sleep, it 
rehabilitates those conditions that ren- 
der activity easy and pleasurable. People who do not 
rest and sleep sufficiently have no desire to employ their 
activities. They are tired and depressed all the time. 
They feel no incentive to do orderly and profitable work. 
They take little or no interest in their work, and as a 
consequence they do it badly. They feel no impulse to go 
out-of-doors and enjoy exercise, pure air and sunshine. 
They prefer the gloom of solitude and the dreariness of 
home imprisonment. The successful use of the Viavi sys- 
tem of treatment has changed all that for thousands and 
enabled them to be what they should be — contributors to 
their own happiness and usefulness and to the happiness 
and prosperity and content of their families. 

Every disease, however slight, is a 

True Meaning of hastened step to the grave. Every 

Disease physical condition that embodies the 

least deviation from the normal, is a 
summons to death. Every artificial device employed to 
take the place of natural processes, is an invitation to 
disease or an aid to its work. Every reliance upon 
artificial means serves as a blinding to the right and 
natural means. The Yiavi system of treatment adopts 
the principle that natural tendencies are upward; that 
the natural condition is one of health; that Nature un- 
aided would cure all diseases had not her overcoming 
and recuperative forces become too weak in the many 
cases where she fails, and that the one and only true 
method is to extend the assistance that she needs. She 
will never fail to employ it if extended in time, and will 
make the most of it under the most disadvantageous cir- 
cumstances. The Yiavi system of treatment has proved 
one of the most valuable aids that can be successfully em- 
ployed in assisting Nature to overcome obstinate and de- 
structive conditions existing in many important diseases. 



CHAPTER IV. 



SUNSHINE AND AIR 

WE ALL realize to some extent the fact that the 
sun's light is essential to health and life, but 
do we realize it to the full extent, and do we 
make the most intelligent use of the knowledge? 
Every living thing must have the sun's light. Some 
things require less light than others, but we are not con- 
cerned with that. Human beings require all the light 
they can get, and they thrive in proportion to the amount 
they receive, and suffer in proportion to the extent to 
which they are denied it. Persons confined in prison 
cells or to their homes become pale. Their blood is not 
of a character to sustain health and overcome disease. 
If the blood is wrong everything else is wrong. 

The sun's light comes to us in two 

Good Effects of forms — direct and diffused. The direct 

Sunlight light is the uninterrupted ray; it is 

what we call sunshine. Diffused light 

is scattered. It has power, but not nearly so great as 

that of the direct ray. The daylight in our houses is , 

diffused sunlight; that out-of-doors on a clear day is 

direct sunlight. On a cloudy day we have diffused light, 

and much of the power is absorbed by the clouds. 

The difference between the power of the sun's light in. 
summer and in winter is due to the difference in the 
thickness of the air layer that it has to penetrate. In 
winter this thickness is much greater than in summer, 
because the rays come to us more slanting, and hence 
more of them are absorbed, and fail to reach us. There- 
fore it is advisable that we get much more sunshine in 
winter than in summer. 

Civilized races have accustomed themselves in a 



SUNSHINE AND AIR 29 

measure to less sunshine than savages enjoy, but civilized 
races are not so healthy as savages, and those civilized 
persons who spend most of their time in the open air 
are the healthiest. 

The air in a house is rarely or never so 
Necessity for pure as that outside. Pure air is 
Pure Air necessary to health and to recovery 

from disease. The air in a bedroom 
rapidly becomes foul and poisonous, so that we are con- 
stantly taking back into the blood the deleterious ele- 
ments that it has thrown off through the lungs. Hence 
it is highly important that the bedroom be amply venti- 
lated, both night and day. 

The best of bedrooms is a porch covered with a roof 
or awning for protection from dew, rain or snow, and 
with an awning on the storm side. Splendid results have 
been secured from sleeping thus all the year round. As 
there is a tendency in outdoor sleeping for the bed- 
clothes to become damp, they should be thoroughly dried 
in the sun or before a fire, the mattress and pillows 
included. It is worth all the trouble it costs. The 
wisdom of a waterproof covering to keep out dampness 
is questionable, though some believe in it. In any event, 
it does not prevent, but probably increases, the moisture 
entering the bedding from the emanations constantly 
escaping from the skin. 

Fear of "catching a cold" deters many from this 
w T holesome practice of outdoor sleeping. As a matter of 
fact, there is less liability to contracting a cold outdoors 
than in, and the sleep is far sweeter and more restful. 

Camping in the summer is one of the 

The Benefits of most beneficial of pleasures. Those 

Tenting who have once learned its delights 

could not be persuaded to forego them. 

If it is not feasible to go into the country for this purpose, 

a tent can be erected at home and an outdoor life lived 

there. We do not mean that the tent should be merely 

-an extension of the house, but that the house should be 

used as little as possible, the cooking, eating and sleeping 



30 VIAVI HYGIENE 

being all done outdoors. Such a gypsy life in the sum- 
mer gives children especially the keenest delight and 
splendid health, and it greatly reduces the labor of house- 
keeping. The ingenious family can easily manage to 
keep free of insect pests, including flies. If the beds are 
kept in the tents, the tent-flaps should be opened wide at 
night. 

This outdoor sleeping or living is equally good for 
the sick and the well. 

All during the night,- whether we sleep 

Proper Care of indoors or out, the body is giving off 

Bedding moist vapors from the entire surface. 

These are absorbed by the bed-clothes, 
making them unclean, even though nothing may be 
visible, for these vapors contain elements of waste that 
are subject to decomposition. It is a great mistake to 
make up the bed in the morning. All the bed-clothes, 
including the mattresses and pillows, should be freely 
exposed to the air, and as often as possible to the direct 
sunshine. So long as they give off the peculiar odor that 
the sunshine draws from them, we may know that 
decomposed matter from the body is in them and that 
the odor is evidence of the oxidizing, cleansing work of 
the sun. Those who frequently sun their bedding know 
the sensation of sweetness and cleanness that it gives, 
and how much more readily it induces sleep. 

It is computed that when at rest we 

The Effects of consume 500 cubic inches of air a 

Exercise minute. Therefore if we remain at 

rest all day and night in an unventi- 
lated room ten feet wide, twelve feet long and ten feet 
high, we shall consume one-third the air, for 500 cubic 
inches consumed a minute means 720,000 cubic inches 
consumed in twenty-four hours, and there are 2,073,600 
cubic inches of air in a room of the foregoing dimensions. 
This means not only a consumption of that much air, but 
the vitiation of all the rest. If we walk at the rate of 
one mile an hour we use 800 cubic inches of air; two 
miles, 1,000 cubic inches; three miles, 1,600 cubic inches; 



SUNSHINE AND AIR 31 

four miles, 2,300 cubic inches. If we run six miles an 
hour we consume 3,000 cubic inches of air during every 
minute of the time. In walking at the leisurely gait of 
two miles an hour we get the benefit of twice as much .air 
in the lungs as when we are resting, and more in pro- 
portion to the increased gait. This means a greatly 
quickened action of the heart, a largely increased rapidity 
of the circulation, and an extensively augmented elimina- 
tion of impurities, particularly through the lungs and 
skin. From this we may infer both the importance of 
pure air and the value of exercise. The sun's direct rays 
exercise a powerful influence in purifying the air. That 
is one reason why outdoor air is purer than indoor. It 
is also a reason for having the bedroom as sunny as pos- 
sible, and for admitting to the house an abundance of 
sunshine every day. 

The action of the sun's direct rays 
Sunshine Good upon the peripheral nerves — those 
for Nerves terminating in the skin — is remark- 
able. It stimulates them, and the 
impulse of this stimulation is of course transmitted to 
the brain and extends throughout every part of the 
body. The effect is a heightened and strengthened 
vitality. All have observed the stimulating and refresh- 
ing effect of a hot bath, except where its injudicious use 
has produced an over-stimulation followed by depression. 
The effect of the heat of the sun is similar to that, but 
possibly there is an additional chemical effect from the 
actinic properties of the sun's rays. It is a curious fact 
that while we recognize the necessity of exposing the 
entire body to the action of the water in taking a hot 
bath, we do not seem to appreciate the value of remov- 
ing all the clothing for a sun bath. Of course it is impos- 
sible to get the full benefit of the sun's light, or anything 
approaching it, unless we expose every part of the body 
to its effects. This requires great care, as there is danger 
of blistering the skin and overheating the blood. But if 
it is done judiciously, and at regular times, remarkable 
benefits will be secured from it. 



CHAPTER V. 



REGULAR HABITS 

SO LONG as the earth continues to revolve on its 
axis, presenting successively the different parts of 
its surface to the light of the sun, so long must the 
affairs of life be ruled by recurrent natural con- 
ditions. Nearly all savage peoples are or have been 
sun-worshipers, for they recognize the controlling influ- 
ence of the sun and the value of what we get from it, and 
have not yet developed to a conception of a higher power 
of which the sun is but an instrument. 

When the sun rises, activity begins; when it sets, the 
time of rest is at hand. Thus a regular daily procession 
of events is established, and the more our conduct is in 
accordance with it, the nearer we shall be to Nature and 
the more we shall get of the happiness and prosperity 
that she can bestow. 

Useful habits, when thoroughly estab- 

Practice Brings lished, are followed so easily that we 

Habit may be hardly conscious of the acts to 

which they give rise. Thus, walking 
is a very complex and difficult art, requiring a high order 
of skill. A long time and vast labor were required of us 
all to master it, and in the process we received many a 
hurt; but we acquired it as a habit, so that we came to 
perform the act with so great ease that it gives us no 
trouble. 

What is difficult in the beginning becomes easy by 
frequent repetition. That is the secret of skill in all 
things. Many bad habits require much effort and per- 
sistence in their acquirement. The poison of tobacco is 
repugnant, and boys who acquire the tobacco habit do 
so only after getting sick a number of times. 



REGULAR HABITS 33 

Many are unaware that what they do from habit may 
be harmful. All habits should be analyzed. The mother 
or father indulging any injurious habit transmits to the 
offspring a tendency to adopt it or some other as bad. 

The habit of regularity in personal 
Need of Personal matters is one of the foundations of 
Attention health. Many people, women espe- 

cially, have no definite time of the day 
for the evacuation of the bowels. Everything suffers 
from such neglect. Others defer such a call when it is 
made. If Nature does not force the issue, she ceases 
for the time to make the demand, and then bends her 
energies to get rid of the deleterious refuse by other 
means. The nerves set the mucous membrane lining 
the intestines at work, and the blood absorbs what it 
can of the effete matter. The blood then carries it to 
all parts of the body, working some of it out through the 
skin, and some out through the lungs, thus tainting the 
breath. In the case of urine unduly retained the blood 
takes up what it can and distributes it throughout the 
system, with equally unpleasant and hurtful results. 

The functions of the body are wonder- 

A Response to fully responsive to kindly and intelli- 

Thoughtfulness gent treatment. If the bowels and 

bladder learn that at definite times of 
the day they are to be emptied, they will organize their 
processes so intelligently that they will be ready to empty 
themselves at those times, and will never give any trouble 
in doing so. On the contrary, they will be so grateful 
that they will discharge their duty in a manner that 
gives much satisfaction. At the same time, no strain 
will be put upon the nervous system in its efforts to cor- 
rect our fault, and this will produce a state of general 
ease. The best time for emptying the bowels is immedi- 
ately before or after breakfast, for all during the night 
and the previous day the digestive processes have been 
storing refuse and getting it ready for discharge. The 
bladder, of course, will be emptied at the same time. In 
a normal state the bowels require emptying but once a 



34 VIAVI HYGIENE 

day. If there is a tendency to do so oftener or less often, 
something is wrong, and we should try to correct the 
fault. One of the best ways of doing so is to establish 
the habit of emptying them at a definite hour every day. 
Even though no desire for stool may be felt when that 
hour arrives, Nature should be invited to make the effort. 
She will gradually come to understand that we have an 
intelligent purpose, and she will then do her utmost to 
conform. That is the establishing of a beneficent habit. 

We have the foundation of a rhyth- 
Nature's Works mical procession of events in the waking 
Rhythmical and the sleeping life. Each has a dis- 
tinct and vital purpose — the one for the 
consumption of strength, and the other for its recupera- 
tion. Hence the more rhythmical and orderly we make 
our acts, the more pleasure living will give us. It should 
cause us shame to be driven to perform any of the natural 
functions, whether eating, sleeping, or evacuating the 
bowels and bladder. Nature desires to be our friend and 
guide, not our lash-wielding master. She punishes us 
only when we violate her laws, but she never fails to 
reward us when we obey them; and we get pain or pleasure 
out of life to the extent to which we violate or observe 
its principles. 

It may be deemed surprising that any necessity should 
exist for insisting on perfect regularity in personal habits, 
but the truth is that this is one of the worst obstacles 
encountered in the treatment of disease, and one of its 
most prolific causes. 

In the matter of eating: The systema- 

Ease Comes from tized method of a man's life lends a 

Regularity zest to his efforts, and this keeps his 

nervous system in good tone, with the 
result that his appetite is hearty and his digestion good. 
Many are prone to give too little attention both to the 
character of their food as strength-making material, and 
to regularity in taking it. The stomach, like* everything 
else, does its work best if it has regular periods of work 
and rest, and if this regularity is interfered with, the 



REGULAR HABITS 35 

health of a well person will suffer, and the disease of a 
suffering one will be aggravated. 

There is hardly a thing of ordinary occurrence in life 
but that will be better done, and will give more pleasure 
in the doing, if it is done regularly. Take exercise, for 
instance. If we have accustomed the system to the 
pleasant stimulus of a walk or drive or ride, or anything 
else of a kindred nature, at a certain hour of the day, it 
will expect that stimulus when the hour arrives, and will 
enjoy it much more than if the pleasure is taken in a 
haphazard fashion. The great evil of a bad habit is that 
the system has become accustomed to the regular per- 
formance of the act. If a man accustoms his system to 
an intoxicant at a certain hour of the day, he will crave 
it when that hour arrives. In a similar way, the system 
will crave the indulgence of a good habit, and will enjoy it. 

It is the same with all the work that falls to our daily 
lives. A man enjoys his business, and is successful in it, 
in proportion to the regularity with which he conducts 
its details. It comes easier to him, and he does it better, 
and it is more beneficial to his spirits, health and strength. 
Great musicians have regular hours of the day for practice, 
and no matter how proficient and famous and prosperous 
they become, they must continue to practice in that regu- 
lar way, and they enjoy it. 



r 

CHAPTER VI. 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE BACK 

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 

NO OTHER part of the body is involved in 
so much obscurity as the nervous system, and 
concerning none other is there so much popular 
ignorance. Its broader principles are well known, 
and an understanding of them serves as a guide to intelli- 
gent living, and to the happiest results in the treatment 
of disease. It is unnecessary to give an intricate ex- 
planation, but it is advisable to give a clear outline of it, 
in order that the origin of symptoms otherwise inexpli- 
cable may be understood, and the value of the Viavi 
system of treatment in enabling Nature to overcome 
them appreciated. 

The nervous system has two great divisions — first, 
the cerebro-spinal system, contained in the skull and 
spine, and governing the higher mental faculties, emo- 
tions, impulses, sensations and impressions; second, the 
sympathetic system, supervising the nutrition. 

The great center of the cerebro-spinal 

Cerebro-Spinal system is the brain. It is composed 

System of gray nerve cells, whose function is 

to originate nerve force, and white 
nerve fibers, whose function is to convey impressions to 
the gray cells and impulses from them. The gray cells 
are in the cortex, or outer part, of the brain, in several 
layers. The brain is wrinkled into folds, called convolu- 
tions; the gray cells follow these convolutions. This 
ingenious arrangement affords more room for the cells 
than if the surface of the brain were smooth, and prevents 
the necessity of a larger head to accommodate them. 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 37 

A white nerve fiber arises in each of these minute gray 
cells, which are so small that they can be seen only with a 
powerful microscope. These fibers, existing in countless 
numbers, compose the mass of white matter in the brain, 
and constitute all of the brain except the outer layers 
and groups of gray cells. The work of the cells is to 
originate impulses and ideas, that of the fibers to trans- 
mit them. Each fiber has a particular impulse or im- 
pression to convey, and no other. Fibers of like function 
are gathered together in strands as they pass from the 
brain into the spinal cord. From the cord, through open- 
ings along the entire length of the spine, they pass out to 
the various parts of the body. Some of these fibers are 
continuous from the brain to their terminals. Others are 
interrupted by bunches of cells, called centers. The first- 
named variety may be illustrated by telephone wires 
running directly from the central station to the houses, 
the second by wires that pass through relay batteries 
at sub-stations. 

Cells of like function are arranged to- 
Arrangement gether in the cortex of the brain. For 
of Cells instance, those having to do with the 

higher mental faculties, such as ideas, 
emotions, volition, etc., are situated in the front part of 
the brain (the forehead); those controlling the tongue, 
face, hands, arms, legs and feet are in the middle and side 
regions of the brain. Those having to do with the sen- 
sations of pain, touch and temperature are on the side 
of the brain, just above the ear; the area of speech is imme- 
diately in front of the ear, behind that is the area of hear- 
ing, and behind that the area of smell and taste. The 
back of the head covers the area of sight. Lower, where 
the head joins the neck, is the area governing the co- 
ordinate movements of the body, enabling us to stand or 
walk properly. It is supposed that this part of the brain 
has to do with the reproductive organs, as diseases of 
those organs produce pain there. 

There are really two brains, one occupying the right 
half of the skull cavity and the other the left. The fibers 



38 VIAVI HYGIENE 

from these cross on their way to the body, so that the 
right brain governs the left side of the body, and the left 
brain the right side. These brains are connected by 
fibers, which enable the two to work together in produc- 
ing unison of action in the two sides of the body. 

The brain and the spinal cord are covered with 
membranes, the one nearest them supplying them with 
nutriment from the blood. 

The nerves running from the cells and 

Motor and Sensory regulating the movements of the body 

Nerves are called motor, or efferent (outgoing), 

nerves. Sensations from all parts of 
the bod}', such as seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, hun- 
ger, pain, heat, cold, etc., are carried to the cells over 
fibers called the sensory, or afferent (ingoing), nerves. 

We may illustrate the action of the nerves by lightly 
pricking the end of the finger with a pin. The injury 
rouses the activity of one or more sensory nerves, which 
immediately convey to the brain, and there record, the 
sensation originating in the finger. The brain weighs the 
sensation, and then causes a motor impulse to be sent out 
over the motor nerves governing the conduct of the arm, 
hand and finger; these nerves contract the muscles and 
the finger is thus withdrawn from the pin-point. A cir- 
cuit has been established from the finger, over the sensory 
nerves to the brain and back to the finger over the motor 
nerves, the area of sensation in the brain being connected 
with the motor area by fibers. 

All the cells and nerves have to be fed 

How the System the same as all other parts of the body. 

Is Fed There are nerves whose business it is 

to keep all the cells and nerves sup- 
plied with nutriment by bringing the blood in contact 
with them through the circulation. Each kind of cell 
selects from the blood the particular kind of nutriment 
that it needs. The energy thus drawn from the blood 
enables one set of cells in the brain to think, another to 
move the feet, another to experience joy, another to 



THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 39 

suffer sorrow, another to detect the slightest variation 
in musical tones, another to enjoy the odor of flowers, 
another to preserve our lives by .rejecting food that has 
the odor of decay. Jt is from these brain cells that all 
ideas and impulses spring — love and hatred, pride and 
ambition, plans of battles, the discovery of worlds, the 
growth of mercantile enterprises, little acts of kindness, 
great deeds of philanthrophy, the first desire of the babe 
to investigate its thumb. Every act done, every word 
spoken, originates here, the most wonderful and com- 
plex part of man. The rest of the body is more or less 
mechanical and chemical. The brain approaches the 
Divine. 

As all the power of the cells and nerves 

Power Is From in the entire body comes from the 

the Blood blood, the character of that power 

must depend on the quality of the 
blood and the manner of its circulation. In ill health 
poisonous matter is taken up by the blood from diseased 
parts of the body, and as all of it cannot be thrown out 
by the lungs, some must be carried to the brain cells. It 
is impossible to have a sound brain and well-ordered 
mind, thoughts and impulses under such conditions; and 
it is equally impossible for the vital functions to perform 
their work perfectly. Life is impaired on both its lower 
and higher levels. 

The sympathetic, or organic, system is 

The Sympathetic composed of chains of knots or nerve 

System ganglia connected by nerve fibers. It 

is found near the spinal column, along 
its sides and front. The right and left chains of ganglia 
are connected by fibers running across the spinal column. 
These ganglia, or knots, of nerve cells extend the entire 
length of the back, and there are three main centers of 
them — one high in the chest; one behind the stomach; 
and one, the largest of all, in the pelvic cavity. From 
these centers nerve fibers run to and along the blood 
vessels throughout the entire body, following them to the 
minutest capillaries, and into the brain itself. 



40 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The function of these sympathetic nerves is to dilate and 
contract the blood vessels, and hence they are known as the 
vaso-motor, or vessel-moving, nerves. Branches of them 
control the action of the arteries in every part of the body, 
thus regulating the blood supply, or the circulation, in the 
heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, etc. 

All the parts of the sympathetic system 
Remote Symptoms are so intimately connected that no 
Explained sooner does a congestion or an inflam- 
mation arise than the sensation which 
it produces passes through both the sympathetic and the 
sensory systems of nerves to the adjacent parts of the 
body, and affect that area in the brain which governs 
these parts. The direct effect upon the sympathetic sys- 
tem of a congestion of the blood is to disturb the circu- 
lation throughout the entire body, at first affecting that 
in the parts contiguous to the disturbed part. The great 
ganglion of the sympathetic system, the solar plexus, 
situated behind the stomach, is eventually disturbed, and 
its branches ramifying through the tissues of the liver, 
spine, intestines and stomach give notice to them of the 
disturbance. 

Inflammatory and diseased conditions are constantly 
pouring poisonous matter into the blood. As a result, 
the lungs have more purifying work than they are able 
to perform, and hence the impure matter not removed is 
carried to the nerves, the cells in the spinal cord and brain, 
and every nerve fiber in the body. In the first place, the 
power of the nervous force itself is reduced; in the second, 
the muscles, receiving impure blood, are not properly 
nourished. The sufferer becomes listless. The muscles 
lose their vigor. The brain becomes unable to formulate 
clear, strong ideas. Little by little the nervous system 
loses its integrity. 

Nervous prostration may come from 
Causing Nervous an excessive consumption of nerve 
Prostration force. This may be through trouble 
or overwork mentally, or from the con- 
st ant irritation of pain, which uses up the nervous force 



THE BACK 41 

in its work of transmitting the sensation of pain to the 
brain. It may come also from lack of nourishment of the 
brain and nervous system, and from poisoning by the 
impurities with which the blood is filled. 

As the nervous system governs the supply of blood 
to every part of the body, including the brain and 
nervous system, it follows that when the nervous energy 
originating in the brain is exhausted, the blood supply 
throughout the entire body is reduced, congestions are 
more frequent and inflammation is more certain; and all 
this time the blood is not purified, there is a lowering of 
vital energy, and the system gradually falls into a con- 
dition of malnutrition. 

If the nervous system can receive natural help to 
enable it to become stronger, it will in turn regulate the 
circulation and purification of the blood. Little by little 
the nervous system will be fed by better blood, with the 
result that the conditions which extend throughout the 
entire system are removed. The Viavi system of treat- 
ment aims to meet these conditions and thus to establish 
health by natural means. 



THE BACK 

The spine is one of the most important parts of the 
body; hence the frequent reference made in this volume 
to the spinal region, or the back, in the Viavi system of 
treatment. 

The spine is a column composed of thirty-three short 
bones, called vertebrae; they are separated by tough 
cushions of cartilage. The seven upper bones constitute 
the cervical part of the column; the following twelve, the 
dorsal; then come five in the lumbar region, or small of 
the back; five more in the sacrum, and four in the coccyx. 

The spine supports the weight of the head, and con- 
nects the bones of the chest with those of the pelvis. It 
also forms a secure canal for the spinal cord. The ribs 



42 VIAVI HYGIENE 

are attached to it and thus given support. The normal 
curves of the spine are three in number, resembling an 
open letter S. The spinal cord does not entirely fill the 
spinal canal, which accommodates also the membrane 
that surrounds the cord, together with a connective tissue 
and a plexus of large vessels. The nerves of the body pass 
into the spinal canal through openings on their way to and 
from the spinal cord and brain. Owing to the curves of 
the spine and the large number of bones composing it, 
and to its discs of cartilage by which they are separated, 
shocks to it are greatly lessened. The column is con- 
stantly liable to these shocks from walking, jumping, 
sitting down hard, falls, blows on the head, etc. It will 
be seen how necessary it is to possess a firm spinal column. 
Its muscles must be strong and elastic, to hold it in proper 
position. If it is abnormally bent, or the internal organs 
are diseased and their activity is impaired, the nervous 
strain or injury thus received in the affected organs is 
transmitted through the spinal cord in the process of 
conveying the sensation of pain to the brain, thus pro- 
ducing irritation and pain in the cord itself, often giving 
rise to an incorrect diagnosis of a disease as originating 
in the cord, and leading to irrational treatment, such as 
burning the back with blisters and hot irons, while fail- 
ing to attack the real cause of the condition. 

The back, composed of the spinal col- 
Needs Strength, umn and its muscles, is designed to 
Flexibility have a great deal of flexibility, on 
which depend much of the freedom and 
grace of bodily movement. Doubtless this freedom of 
movement, being natural, gives to the internal organs 
and to the back itself an exercise from which they receive 
benefit. It is noticeable that as a rule those who do not 
deprive the back of this freedom are stronger and sounder 
than those who do. To deprive any part of the body of 
its natural freedom of movement, and consequently the 
exercise arising from such freedom, tends to an impair- 
ment of strength. 

A back that has become weak tends to relax on occa- 



THE BACK 43 

sion more than a strong back would, as a correct sitting 
posture is irksome. This bending causes a compression 
of the internal organs and interferes with their activity, 
and perhaps puts an irritating strain on the spinal cord 
itself and the nerves running from it and into it on their 
way to and from the internal organs. 

Spinal irritation may arise within or 

Cause of Spinal without the spinal column. When 

Irritation caused by a lack of blood supply or an 

anemic condition of the blood, it is 
known as spinal anemia. If there is an oversupply of 
blood we have spinal hyperemia. An abnormal con- 
dition of the blood supply within the spinal column can 
easily give rise to spinal irritability, which in time may 
lead to the most complicated disorders. Understand- 
ing that both arteries N and veins occupy this canal, also 
that impeded circulation in either arteries or veins causes 
their caliber to enlarge, it can be understood how neces- 
sary it is that both the general and local circulation be 
normal, in order that there be no undue pressure within 
this canal. A disease of the spinal cord may produce 
extensive disease elsewhere. 

The Viavi system of treatment for spinal irritation 
of a reflex nature has stood the test of experience for 
many years. It employs no violence and gives no pain. 
Where the trouble is associated with disease of the internal 
organs, both conditions are treated, not one to the neglect 
of the other. 

If one part of the body is affected, no 
Signs of Spinal matter how slightly, the entire system 
Irritation is more or less affected. The irrita- 

tion of one center in the cord may be 
transmitted to another, thus setting up new centers of 
disturbance. Irritation of the spinal cord may produce 
pain in many parts of the body. This goes to show the 
necessity of treating the body as a whole instead of as a 
collection of independent parts or organs. 

Im spinal irritation we find pain at the nape of the 



44 VIAVI HYGIENE 

neck; a sore or sensitive spot or spots in the spine, easily 
detected by pressure (sometimes the pain is near the 
surface and at other times deep-seated); a continual 
burning sensation of a part or the whole length; pain in 
the back just above or below the waist line, which aches 
like a tooth or as if it would break in two; pain in the 
back of the head; stiffness of the neck, etc. Remote but 
reflex ills from spinal irritation may also arise, such as 
headaches, insomnia, fainting, palpitation, or a sensation 
as if the heart turned over, black spots or streaks before 
the eyes (which may be sore upon pressure) , trembling of 
the body and limbs. Such sufferers are irritable and 
easily depressed, dizzy, and have cold extremities. There 
may be noises in the ears and inability to concentrate the 
mind. 

Where the pain has become localized in the spine, the 
most cruel and inhuman treatments have been resorted 
to, such as cupping, blistering, cutting, burning with a 
red-hot iron and the like, all equally unsuccessful. Where 
the spinal column becomes abnormally curved or bent, 
mechanical appliances are the only makeshifts at relief 
employed by ordinary methods. Obviously these reli- 
ances do not offer Nature strengthening and building 
material; the aid offered is artificial, not natural. The 
Via vi system of treatment takes the opposite course, and 
its long record of success gives sufficient evidence of the 
soundess of its philosophy and the efficiency of its method. 

The Viavi method of treating the spine 

Treatment of is designed to reach disturbed con- 

the Spine ditions within the column and also the 

nerves leading from the cord to affected 

internal organs and parts, and at the same time strengthen 

the muscles determining the strength and flexibility of 

the back. That is why the Viavi cerate is applied over 

the middle and lower regions of the spine in troubles of 

the reproductive organs, and the upper regions in diseases 

of the lungs, stomach, bowels, kindeys, etc. (See Cerate 

on Spine, final chapter.) 

We deem it unnecessary to take up and describe each 



THE BACK 45 

disease to which the spinal column is liable. We have 
but one object in view when treating this region, as else- 
where — to secure a healthy reaction by bringing to the 
nerves and tissues, through the blood, the nutrition by 
which rebuilding may be established. 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE CIRCULATION 

FROM a study of the blood, its circulation, and the 
principles of absorption and elimination, we can 
best understand how the Viavi system of treatment 
aims to assist Nature. These subjects are not only 
deeply interesting, but a knowledge of them is essential 
to an intelligent care of health. 

The blood is the medium through 

The Purposes of which all the vital processes are main- 

the Blood tained. It contains the nutriment 

that supports every part and organ of 
the body, and obtains this nutriment from the foods 
and other material which enter the body. When from 
any cause the blood becomes impoverished, or lacking 
in nutriment, more or less weakness follows, and disease 
more easily gains a foothold, or, if already present, 
steadily progresses. 

Equally important with the quality of the blood is the 
manner of its circulation. If the nerves controlling the 
circulation lose their tone, or their power to relax and con- 
tract the blood vessels and thus keep the blood moving 
normally, the system is not properly nourished even 
though the quality of the blood may be good, and is 
unable to rid itself of the waste arising from the process 
of living. 

Many familiar phenomena should make 
Health Depends us acquainted with the importance of 
on Blood. the quality and quantity of the blood 
and its proper circulation. The con- 
dition known as fainting is that in which the circulation of 
blood in the brain is temporarily suspended. Hence, 
unless there is a constant and free circulation of the blood 



THE CIRCULATION 47 

in the brain the higher functions of that organ are im- 
paired. From this we can easily reason out the impor- 
tance of a free circulation in any other part or organ. 
The sensitiveness of the brain to the blood supply indi- 
cates what every other organ or part must require for 
health)' work. 

A surcharge of blood in the brain is congestion of the 
brain. In that condition the entire body is thrown into 
a convulsion and consciousness is lost. Too much blood 
in an organ or part is as bad as too little. 

The blood is a transparent fluid carrying red and white 
corpuscles. The red corpuscles are minute discs and are 
very numerous; they give the blood in the arteries its 
rich crimson color, which is -due to the ingredients com- 
posing them — oxygen, iron, etc. The white corpuscles 
are larger and fewer, and they possess the curious power 
of spontaneous movement, called the ameboid move- 
ment, from the ameba, a minute sea creature that passes 
through substances by throwing out a penetrating pro- 
jection and working its way through an opening much 
smaller than itself, resuming its globular form after ac- 
complishing the task. ' The white corpuscles creep slowly 
along the sides of the blood vessels, while the red occupy 
the center of the stream and hurry along. These carry the 
elements needed by the tissues. Both kinds of corpuscles 
are so small that they can be seen only under a microscope. 
One of the offices of the white corpuscles is to carry away 
the waste that accumulates in the tissues in every part 
of the body. 

The blood carries a great variety of nutritive elements. 
As is passes on, each organ or part selects from it what 
it needs, and gives up to it what it wishes to discard. 

When food is taken into the stomach, 

Distribution of it is there and in the bowels changed 

Nutriment by chemical and mechanical processes 

into a liquid form, such elements as 

are not suitable for nutrition being finally expelled as 

feces. Some of the nutriment thus prepared passes 



4S VIAVI HYGIENE 

directly through the walls of the blood vessels lining the 
stomach and intestines. It thus enters the blood, and the 
rest is taken up by special vessels called the lymphatics, 
and by them transported to the veins and emptied into 
them. (See chapter on The Liver.) Thus digestion in 
the stomach and bowels supplies nutriment to the blood, 
which in turn conveys it to all parts of the body. 
Each part then selects the particular elements that it 
needs. These demands are of very great variety, and 
hence the blood, in order to nourish all the parts, must 
carry all the elements, in the right quantity, that all of 
the parts require. 

When an artery is opened the blood 
The Process of from it is a bright crimson. If we 
Circulation open a vein, the blood from it is a dark, 
muddy, bluish purple. 

The heart, the lungs, the arteries, the veins and the 
capillaries are all controlled, as is everything else in the 
body, by special brain or spinal centers operating through 
the nerves, and constitute the essential mechanical 
devices for carrying on the work of the circulation. 
The business of the heart is to force out the blood through 
the arteries to all parts of the body; that of the veins to 
return the blood to the heart; that of the heart, again, 
to send to the lungs the blood that it has received from 
the veins; and that of the lungs to purify this blood and 
return it to the heart, whence it is again sent out through 
the arteries; but all of these changes of the blood's loca- 
tion, which means the circulation, lie under the control 
of the nervous system. 

The heart is a very strong muscular pump, divided 
into four chambers, two for receiving and sending out the 
arterial blood, and two for receiving and sending out the 
venous blood. This wonderful little organ seemingly 
never rests, though, like the body as a whole, it rests 
about a third of the time, having a short pause between 
contractions; 



THE CIRCULATION 49 

The dark, muddy color of the venous 

Phenomenon of blood is due to the impurities, or 

Breathing waste, that it has gathered up in every 

part of the body. Along with this 
waste is the nutriment that the venous blood has received 
from the digestive system, but it will not be serviceable 
until it has gone through the heart to the lungs, then back 
to the heart, to be sent thence through the arteries to all 
parts of the body. 

The blood is purified in a most ingenious and beautiful 
manner. Upon entering the lungs it distributes itself 
throughout that spongy organ; the vessels carrying it 
completely surround the small air spaces with which 
the lungs are filled. When we breathe, the air passes 
down the trachea (windpipe), which subdivides into 
numerous tubes called the bronchia (bronchial tubes), 
and these, subdividing as they proceed, terminate in 
minute bulbs, the small air spaces of the lungs. The 
impulse that draws the air into the lungs is created by 
the action of the diaphragm and the muscles of the chest. 
The diaphragm is a strong, flat, sheet-like muscle which 
forms the floor of the chest. These muscles keep just 
as steadily at work as the heart, and their faithful action 
is just as necessary to life. Their expansion increases 
the size of the chest and lungs, and this compels the air 
to rush in and 611 the vacuum thus created. Their 
relaxation permits the chest and lungs to resume their 
contracted state, and the contraction expels the air from 
the lungs. This is the phenomenon of breathing. 

When the oxygen of the air comes in contact with 
the impure blood in the lungs, through the thin walls 
of the blood vessels, a low form of combustion, or burning, 
takes place, somewhat similar to the combustion of coal 
or wood. There is so nice a relation between the ele- 
ments in the blood to be purified, and the ability of the 
air to do so, that if the equilibrium is destroyed, distress, 
disease or death may ensue. 



50 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The arteries rising from the heart 

Work Done in are large muscular tubes, but as they 

Capillaries proceed, they subdivide again and 

again, becoming smaller and smaller, 
until finally they dwindle to microscopic threads. These 
are the capillaries. The end of the ringer placed upon 
any part of the body, or, if possible, upon any organ, 
would cover more capillaries than any one would be willing 
to count. Their diameter is so small that the red cor- 
puscles, which a powerful microscope is required for us to 
see, can just squeeze through in single file. It is in the 
capillaries, however, that the great work of the blood and 
the circulation is done. It is there that the nutriment 
of the blood passes out through their walls into the tissues, 
and the waste from the tissues is passed back through 
the walls and taken up by the blood. At one end of the 
capillaries we find pure arterial blood, and at the other 
end impure venous blood, for the further ends of the capil- 
laries unite to form minute veins, and these in turn unite 
to form larger veins, and so on, reversing the order of the 
subdivision of the arteries. 

A number of things may happen to 

Diseases from produce disease or distress in the 

Irregularities elaborate process of the circulation. 

The blood must be rich in the right 

kind of nutritive elements, and the circulation must be 

sufficient to keep it properly moving; but other things 

are necessary. 

The walls of the blood vessels offer an important 
study. We can easily see that if they are weak and re- 
laxed, their calibre increases, and larger quantities of 
blood are held in them. This condition of the blood 
vessels is called lack of tone. Its source is some fault 
of the nervous system. 

Congestion is an undue gathering of blood at some 
particular place. When blood thus collects in one 
place, it must be at the sacrifice of a proper supply to 
other places. Every function of the body requires a 
generous and rapidly moving blood supply, and if this is 



THE CIRCULATION 51 

diverted by congestion anywhere, some function or func- 
tions arc bound to be interfered with. The Viavi system 
of treatment aims to assist Nature in preventing and over- 
coming congestion and its resultant condition, inflam- 
mation. Tone must be restored to the weakened blood 
vessels, reducing their calibre and enabling them to 
handle the blood naturally. No false condition is effected 
by this procedure. It is the return of the natural con- 
dition, induced by strengthening the nervous system and 
supplying the blood with nutritive elements. 

An organ requires blood in proportion 

Blood Essential to the amount and character of work 

to Work it has to do. When we take food into 

the stomach, the lining of that organ 
immediately becomes filled with blood, which rapidly 
supplies the tissues of the stomach with new material to 
take the place of that used up in the process of digestion. 
Again, the brain in the waking state requires a great deal 
more blood than in sleep, for the reason that the process 
of thinking and perceiving is carried on at the expense 
of the brain substance involved in the process, and this 
must be fed and regenerated by the blood. 

The determination of blood to an organ 
Natural and for the purpose of enabling the organ 
Unnatural to perform its work, is natural con- 
gestion, and therefore healthy and 
painless. There is a vital difference between natural 
and unnatural congestion. Where the blood accumulates 
in a place or organ without the purpose of aiding that 
organ to do its work, we have unnatural congestion, 
which in time must result in inflammation. Congestion 
and inflammation are always caused by an unnatural 
accumulation of blood. The blood is, of course, 
subject to gravitation. Were it not for certain very 
ingenious contrivances, all the blood would settle to the 
feet and legs when we stand, or to the under part of the 
body when we lie down. Many of the blood vessels are 
supplied with valves, similar to those of a pump, which 



52 VIAVI HYGIENE 

keep the blood from returning after having passed them. 
This prevents its settling by gravitation. An important 
exception, however, is observed in the generative organs 
of women. There is found an absence of valves, and, 
mere than that, a very free inter-communication of the 
blood vessels in the organs. In consequence of the ab- 
sence of these valves and of the generous blood supply of 
the organs, there is a high susceptibility to unnatural 
congestion. 

The importance of eliminating the im- 

Harmful Products purities that accumulate in the blood 

of Disease by natural means will be evident. The 

way to do this is to keep the circulation 
up to a healthy standard, and the Viavi system of treat- 
ment seeks to accomplish that. There is still another 
consideration. When the blood does not circulate freely 
through an organ or part, it retains there the impurities 
with which it is charged. As these impurities are poisons, 
a local imflammatory condition is induced. If the disease 
is extensive or severe, there are certain products of the 
disease itself that taint the blood, and the lungs are unable 
to purify it. In this way these deleterious elements are 
transferred by the circulation to other parts of the body, 
and where they find suitable conditions they will establish 
new seats of disease. The brain itself is affected to a 
greater or less extent in this way* 



CHAPTER VIII. 



CONGESTION, INFLAMMATION, 
ABSORPTION 

AS IS shown in the chapter on The Circulation, con- 
gestion is the unnatural determination of the 
blood to a part or organ, and is different from 
the natural congestion necessary to the work of 
the organ. Congestion occurs in the capillaries, dis- 
tending and enfeebling them, and producing swelling 
and tension. Inflammation is the redness and heat 
accompanying congestion. Pain and impaired function 
are accompaniments of both congestion and inflammation. 

Although all inflammation, wherever 
Many Names for found, has the same general character, 
Inflammation it has many names to indicate its loca- 
tion. The suffix "itis" appended to 
the name of a part means inflammation of that part: 
thus, laryngitis, inflammation of the larynx; peritonitis, 
inflammation of the peritoneum; cystitis, inflammation 
of the bladder (cyst meaning a bag or sac); bronchitis, 
inflammation of the bronchia. There are many more. 
These terms are used for convenience, but as they sound 
formidable to sufferers not understanding them, they 
often are discouraging. An understanding of their 
meaning will make it clear why the Viavi system of 
treatment seems to be used for many different ailments 
which in reality are only inflammation. As they are 
alike in their nature, and are referable to errors of circu- 
lation and nutrition, they have been affected similarly 
by the Viavi system of treatment. 

Xot only has inflammation a special name according 
to its location, but it produces special symptoms as it 
impairs the functions of the various organs. Inflamma- 
tion of the lungs will produce one set of symptoms, of 



54 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the eyes another. It is from the symptoms that we learn 
the location and extent of the inflammation, and from 
the location that we give it a special name. 

When these nerves controlling the cir- 

The Nerves Are culation are weak, expansion and con- 

at Fault traction of the arteries do not properly 

occur; the vessels become filled with 
blood and the circulation is impeded. The walls of the 
vessels being lax, the vessels, crowded with blood, gradu- 
ally expand, and some of the elements of the blood escape 
through the walls into the tissues. These expand under 
the accumulation, chemical changes take place, forming 
impurities and causing heat, and the cardinal symptoms 
of inflammation appear — swelling, heat, redness and 
pain, and impaired function. The swelling is produced 
by the accumulation of blood; the heat is due to chemical 
changes; the redness is caused by the distension of the 
capillaries with blood and the escape of blood into the 
tissues, and the pain is caused by the pressure of the 
accumulation upon the multitudinous nerve filaments in 
the affected region. 

All these results come ulteriorly from the inability of 
the nerves to perform their duties. When the weakened 
nerves and tissues have been strengthened and nourished 
under the Viavi system of treatment, control of the cir- 
culation has been regained. The flow of blood to and 
from the parts became normal and the impurities were 
removed. Such is the assistance given to Nature by all 
the forms of Viavi in reducing inflammation, independ- 
ently of its stage, type or location. When the diseased 
condition progresses so far as to destroy the function of 
the sensory nerves, pain disappears. An extreme illus- 
tration of this is seen in gangrene, and often in a long- 
continued inflamed condition of internal organs. 

When from inflammation there is an 

Many Phases of accumulation of fluid in the joints or 

Inflammation the pleural cavity, it is termed serous 

inflammation. Adhesive or fibrinous 

inflammation is so called from the sticky substance that 



INFLAMMATION, ABSORPTION 55 

exudes, by which two surfaces are quickly united. This 
form of inflammation is best seen in the peritoneal cavity. 
Extensive adhesions of low-grade tissue will form there 
in a few hours from fibrinous inflammation. Croupous 
inflammation is so called from the formation of a false 
membrane upon the surface of an inflamed mucous mem- 
brane. Gangrenous inflammation belongs to the malig- 
nant type. Where there is liquefaction of the tissues, 
suppuration occurs. In this form the deeper parts 
become involved. Inflammation of the mucous mem- 
brane has a tendency to run along the surface. 

In acute inflammation the swelling increases the tem- 
perature, and all symptoms are rapid and prominent; in 
chronic inflammation the symptoms are much less marked. 
Repeated attacks of acute inflammation will bring about 
a chronic inflammatory condition, and chronic conditions 
will often be lighted up by acute attacks. When the 
nerves of a part become impaired, the vitality of the 
tissues is diminished. 

Ulceration is a condition following inflammation. It 
shows perverted nutrition; therefore the Viavi treatment 
employed for ulceration is identical with that for inflam- 
mation. (See treatment for inflammation of the various 
organs.) Ulcers and open sores are treated in a separate 
chapter. 

Inflammation has been quickly relieved 
Treatment for by prompt use of the form of Viavi 
Inflammation appropriate to it, particularly in 
acute attacks, as in croup and irri- 
tating coughs, and in cases of badly crushed tissues 
from mechanical injuries. When an injury received 
immediate Viavi treatment inflammation and tenderness 
disappeared. (See chapter on Wounds, Sprains, Burns, 
etc.) Inflammation of long standing has required more 
time to overcome it. 

It is obvious that inflammation follows an impeded 
circulation, by which the functions are impaired and the 
tissues deprived of nourishment, no matter where the 



58 VIAVI HYGIENE 

inflammation may be located. The symptoms change 
and vary with the function of the organs impaired. 
Inflammation extends from one tissue to another; it may 
begin in one place and extend in all directions. There is 
always a cause, and the removal of these symptoms 
depends first upon the removal of the cause, and this 
upon the action of Viavi, which is designed to give the 
most natural help to the impaired tissues and organs. 
This being understood, it can be easily seen why the 
Viavi system has been taken as the treatment for these 
conditions into many homes, and has been given a prom- 
inent place as a remedy for the reduction of inflammation 
wherever it exists. 



ABSORPTION 

Absorption is the taking in of one substance by 
another. This principle exists throughout the system; 
it is extremely important, and is taken full advantage of 
in the Viavi system of treatment. 

Absorption is essential to all forms of life. The 
leaves of a tree absorb certain elements from the air that 
are useful to the plant, and the roots perform a similar 
service with regard to elements in the ground. Our 
blood absorbs the nutriment that the stomach and 
intestines prepare, and the tissues in turn absorb it from 
the blood. 

A reverse of absorption is seen when the tissues and 
organs reject substances, such as waste, that are no 
longer useful to them, or that are injurious. Thus, the 
tissues reject their waste while taking in new building 
material. 

Secretion, the storing of a liquid by an 
Secretion by organ, and excretion, the elimination 
Organs of a substance by an organ, may be con- 

sidered in connection with absorption, 
and they have a very important bearing on the rationale 



ABSORPTION 57 

of the Viavi system of treatment. A secretion is that 
which a gland separates from the blood for its uses. 
Thus, the gastric juice is secreted by the cells of the 
stomach, and is used in digestion. Saliva is a secre- 
tion of the mouth, used in moistening the food in masti- 
cation and making it easy to swallow, while at the same 
time giving it valuable digestive elements. Tears are 
a secretion of the lachrymal glands. Milk is a secretion 
of the breasts. Bile is a secretion of the liver. These 
secretions are necessary to health, but as they all come 
from the blood, two things are evident — that unless the 
blood is sufficiently rich the organs cannot secrete from 
it the materials that they require, and that unless the 
circulation is good an insufficient quantity of blood will 
be brought to the organs, and the secretion will be 
deficient. Hence the importance of having good blood 
and a good circulation. 

In certain conditions of disturbed nutrition or local 
inflammation there is excessive secretion. 

Excretion is the throwing off of un- 

Different Kinds necessary matter. In some instances 

of Excretion the excretions of the body are also 

secretions and serve a useful purpose. 
Thus, the bile, which is secreted by the liver, and serves 
some use in digestion, is an excretion in the sense that it 
is a withdrawal from the blood of elements that would be 
deleterious to the general economy. Sweat is a watery 
excretion of the skin, but it carries an oily element that 
is useful in keeping the outer skin pliable. Urine is an 
excretion secreted by the kidneys, and, like the feces, or 
excrement from the bowels, serves no useful purpose, and 
is intended to be expelled from the system. 

In constipation we see absorption, but to the injury 
of health. Just as stupefying or poisonous substances, 
as chloroform or vapor of mercury, are absorbed into 
the blood through the lungs if inhaled, so an unnatural 
retention of urine and the feces will cause them to be 
absorbed as poison to a certain extent, and by the blood 
distributed throughout the body. The offensive breath 



58 VIAVI HYGIENE 

of a person who is constipated is caused largely by the 
impure matter taken up by the blood and eliminated 
through the lungs, in Nature's effort to get rid of an 
obnoxious substance. Likewise a retention of the urine 
infects the blood with uremic poison. Thus we see that 
both excretion and secretion must be normal in order for 
health to exist. It is the object of the Viavi system of 
treatment to aid Nature in rendering them so. 

After the skin has been prepared in a 

Absorption of special manner as directed, in order to 

Viavi increase its absorptive powers, Viavi 

in its cerate form is rubbed in. The 
place and extent of the area thus treated depend on the 
nature and location of the disease. In more or less 
serious cases the entire spine and back receive this treat- 
ment. In addition, Viavi in other forms is used inter- 
nally — the capsule by women in the vagina, the sup- 
pository by both sexes in the rectum, and the liquid in 
the stomach, nose, throat, etc. The mucous membrane 
lining all these organs absorbs the liquid. In these two 
ways, through the skin and the mucous membrane, the 
appropriate forms of Viavi are absorbed with great 
readiness, 



CHAPTER IX. 



MENTAL STATES 

It is easy to underestimate the importance of the 
relation between mental and physical states. Those 
afflicted with disease are mentally affected to a greater 
or less degree, and in a way that tends to keep them sick. 
The physical body is not a mere mechanism, subject to 
external forces only. It is inseparably bound up with 
the mind, and each is affected by the condition of the 
other. A sound, vigorous body gives the mind freedom 
and strength for development; a diseased body distracts 
the mind more or less and injures the brain, which is the 
organ of the mind and the center of the vital forces. 
But the condition is desperate indeed if the will, one of 
the most valuable attributes of the mind, is entirely 
destroyed, and so long as there is any will left, it can and 
should be used in thinking and doing things that make 
for health. The will to get well creates the belief that one 
can get well, and this is naturally followed by efforts to 
get well, the thinking and doing of reasonable things to 
secure health. The opposite thought is just as positive 
a force against recovery. 

Physical disease accounts indirectly 

The Records of for a large percentage of insanity 

Asylums cases, through its effect on the brain. 

Among men, dissipation or other 
ruinous self-indulgences are common causes, as such 
practices attack the nervous system directly, and through 
it the brain. Eighty-five per cent, of women in lunatic 
asylums owe their condition to diseases peculiar to women. 
These diseases also have wrecked the nervous system 
and thus impaired the brain. With terrible frequency 
the newspapers give accounts of men who have dis- 



60 VIAVI HYGIENE 

appeared and women who have committed suicide. 
From these desperate conditions resulting from nervous 
derangement, all the way down to the slightest nervous- 
ness, are infinite gradations of mental unsoundness, 
every one of them meaning an impairment of life. 

The* greater and more seriously the 

Nerve Force and number of nerves affected, the greater 

Its Value the harm to the brain, and through it 

to the nervous system generally. Every 

unnatural draft lessens the ability of the nerves to do 

their work properly. 

The nervous system may suddenly and completely 
collapse under a severe injury or strain. Thus we get 
nervous prostration. Another form of it is shock, one of 
the conditions most dreaded in operations. If very 
severe, it is fatal. 

A minor ailment long sustained has a cumulative 
effect. A seemingly insignificant disease maintains a 
constant nagging of the entire nervous system, and as 
this represents a steady use of nerve force without a 
compensating regeneration, there is gradual deteriora- 
tion, until a serious condition presents itself. It is like 
the constant dripping of water on a stone. It is impossible 
to see from day to day that any change is taking place, 
but the time comes when the effect is seen. 

Disease absorbs the strength that 

Strength Slowly the body needs for all its purposes. 

Consumed This strength is drawn from every part 

and organ, but most rapidly from those 
that have an inherent weakness. If the heart is lacking 
in strength, it will give evidence of the draft made upon 
it. Indigestion indicates that the digestive system is 
giving way. The kidneys may be the first to suffer, 
leaving in the system much of the poison that it is their 
function to drain from it. The lungs may break down, 
rendering one subject to pneumonia, bronchitis or con- 
sumption. The walls of the blood vessels may have some 
weakness that the nervous drain develops, with the 



MENTAL STATE 61 

result of imperfect circulation, impoverishment of the 
body, accumulation of waste and the formation of growths. 
With all of these conditions are correlated derangements. 
The blood will be of a poor quality. The lungs will not 
be able to do their work of purification. 

More distressing than the physical 

Mental Effects of derangements are those of the mind. 

Disease It is intended by Nature that we should 

enjoy life, overcome difficulties, gain 

courage and an equable temper from experience, and 

make all things contribute to the pleasure of living. 

Life is a ceaseless struggle, but it is intended that we 

should be able to overcome all obstacles and turn them 

to advantage. If we lack the strength to do so we shall 

be unhappy. It is impossible for unhealthy men, women 

and children to enjoy life as they should. 

The afflicted are beset by numerous worries. Things 
that cause others no uneasiness are formidable to them. 
They find the ordinary tasks and crosses of life, so useful 
to healthy persons in developing strength and character, 
and thus in the end contributing to happiness, taking 
the sweetness out of life. 

Many have given up and died merely 
Great Power of because they were told that they were 
Impressions incurable. Much of the reputation of 
the Viavi system of treatment was 
gained by what had been accomplished in otherwise 
hopeless cases, in which the sufferers had lost all faith 
after suffering years of torture. They adopted the Viavi 
system of treatment, not because they had the slight- 
est faith in it, but merely to give it a chance if there was 
any. Xo faith in the efficacy of the treatment is required; 
all that is needed is a faithful following of the instructions. 

The aim of the treatment is to enable Nature to make 
such changes in the entire organism as to remove the 
depressing mental burdens that add so much to the power 
of the disease. Experience has shown that the nervous 
system was slowly brought to a condition of health, and 



62 VIAVI HYGIENE 

thus everything else began to do its work naturally. A 
hopeful, clear, cheerful mind is the natural one. 

One must make an effort to get well. To make such 
an effort requires thought. 

There is nothing vague, intangible 

Rational Basis or supernatural connected with the 

of Health Viavi system of treatment. It appeals 

to nothing but the hardest kind of 
common sense, and that is the very kind most needed 
when one is suffering. That is the kind that will make 
one understand oneself and one's disease, its causes, cure 
and prevention. The Viavi system of treatment is in- 
tensely practical and scientific, based on simple natural 
laws easily understood and obeyed. Everything con- 
nected with it tends to bring one into a closer relationship 
with Nature. Its teachings lay the foundation for rational 
adhesion to any religion that may most strongly appeal. 
They enable one to understand the injunctions of religion 
and draw the highest consolation from their observance. 
Intelligent living and the securing and preservation of 
health are essential elements of all rational desires and 
efforts to obey Divine laws. 



CHAPTER X. 



NERVOUS DEBILITY 

UNDER the high stress of modern life men have 
become victims to nervous depletion to an extent 
that few of them appear to realize. This is true 
especially of men in cities, in all occupations, for 
it is there that the stress is particularly severe and the 
temptation to form injurious habits strong. The bril- 
liant success that has been won in nervous irritation and 
depletion under the Viavi system of treatment has sug- 
gested the need of a special chapter addressed to men. 
At the same time, many women develop nervous weak- 
ness independently of diseases peculiar to them, which 
are discussed in the later chapters of this volume. They 
will find much in this chapter applicable to them. 

In every walk of life, particularly in 

Many Effects of the higher walks, multitudes of men 

Deterioration are suffering from deterioration before 

the natural time. A man ought to be 
in his prime between his fortieth and his sixtieth years. 
His physical and mental capabilities should respond 
promptly to any judicious demand, and he should have 
stability, endurance, and freedom from pain. Instead 
of that, we too often find him a sufferer or a wreck. At 
the time of life when he needs great physical and mental 
strength and endurance, he finds distress or weakness 
overtaking him. Dyspepsia appears and brings its 
torments. Hemorrhoids begin to sap his strength and 
destroy his comfort. His bladder gives him trouble. 
Neuralgia, headaches, insomnia or rheumatism may add 
their miseries. Gout may bring him agonies. Diabetes, 
Blight's disease, asthma, stone in the bladder and other 
afflictions may attack him, 



64 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The ideal man in business and the 

Irritability and home circle is patient and considerate. 

Incapacity The man who worries is not a good 

business man; he is consuming his 
vital forces without getting any equivalent. If he is 
irritable with his associates or employees, he keeps them 
in a constant state of discomfort or apprehension, and 
thus cripples their usefulness. If he is at all times in 
perfect command of himself, his judgment will be far 
clearer, his strength far greater and his influence much 
more helpful to his associates or employees than if he is 
nervous and petulant. 

A man who is irritable in business is likely overbear- 
ing and fault-finding at home. Instead of being the 
solid rock upon which the happiness and stability of the 
home are founded, he is an element of weakness and dis- 
integration. Matters may go so far that, without his 
suspecting it, his wife and children fear him and dread 
his coming. His children may leave home before they 
have sufficiently developed to fight the battle of life. 
He fails to exercise the deep and steadying influence that 
means so much to the safety of the household. And he 
may be entirely unaware of all this. 

In business he suffers the loss of a power essential to 
advancement. His development is prohibited. Many a 
brilliant career has been destroyed'by nervous depression. 
A man cannot hope to stand with other men if he suffers 
from a depletion of nerve force. 

It was intended by Nature that a man should be 
patient, composed, strong in his sense of power, com- 
petent for every rational strain, ready for every emer- 
gency. If he is otherwise, we may safely assume that 
he has only himself to blame, and that he may recover 
a man's standard if he wishes. 

Living things are provided with greater 
Strains Hurt or strength than they need for ordinary 
Benefit purposes, for an extraordinary strain 

may come at any moment. In build- 
ing a bridge we provide it with more than sufficient 



NERVOUS DEBILITY 65 

strength to bear its own weight and that of ordinary 
traffic, for at any time it may become heavily crowded. 

Strains of greater or less severity are constantly 
occurring in the lives of all. The strains under which 
a man may come are of infinite variety. There may be 
a financial panic; a loved one may die; an epidemic may 
appear; a serious injury may be accidentally received. 
If he does not have the reserve strength to meet any and 
all of them, he will go down. He must be always ready; 
there is never any knowing when a blow may fall. The 
man who bears one strain successfully is thereb} r rendered 
all the stronger to bear more strains. Power is increased 
by exercise. 

It is at middle age that the responsibilities of men 
become the most serious. If they have married and are 
fathers, their elder sons and daughters are grown. The 
sons need the wisest guidance in starting life, and the 
daughters in establishing themselves as new centers of 
domestic usefulness and happiness. If a man finds him- 
self crippled at this time, he is unable to give his children 
all the help that a wise consideration of their welfare 
demands. If a father's powers fail him now, or if weak- 
ness or debility appears, or some physical malady over- 
takes him, he cannot properly discharge the heavy 
responsibilities that have come into his life, and whose 
proper discharge means so much to other lives. 

A man is proud of his power to achieve, 
How Morals Are to overcome; he is proud of his vic- 
Affected tories; he is proud of his wife, children 

and home; he is proud of his work. In 
addition, he has an ambition that urges him on. He 
welcomes obstacles, because his pride will be gratified 
and his interests advanced by overcoming them. He is 
proud of his friends and of their admiration of him and 
confidence in him-. As a consequence of these influences, 
he leads a clean and helpful life, and his influence is good. 
If he is not a sound man, if his nerves lack full integ- 
rity, or he is weak or diseased, his pride and ambition 



66 YIAVI HYGIENE 

will be correspondingly weak. His sense of shame will 
not be so easily outraged. His tastes and appetites will 
be deranged to a greater or less degree. His responsi- 
bilities will not operate so strongly for his good and that 
of his family, friends and business associates. Countless 
men have thus gone to pieces in middle age, the most 
critical time in a man's life. Every man who observes 
and thinks will see the truth of these assertions. 

A normal person enjoys mere being 

The Pleasure of alive. That is Nature's law, for if not, 

Living all races would quickly disappear. 

When we see a person who does not 
enjoy being alive, we may know that there has been a 
serious departure from Nature's law. Inability to enjoy 
life at the highest and fullest is a symptom of disease. 

The normal person enjoys not alone the mere act of 
living, but also the many incidental pleasures that come 
into life, and in addition pleasures that may be sought. 
The normal man enjoys his business, his home, his wife 
and children, his friends. The normal woman also enjoys 
the home and all that goes to make it what it should be. 
Both men and women enjoy what the talent and skill of 
others have provided, such as books, paintings, music, 
amusements and the like; they enjoy pleasures arising out 
of the social instinct, such as dinners, banquets and other 
occasions for social assemblage. They enjoy wholesome 
sports and games, and must be old indeed to be too old 
to participate in them; they enjoy Nature, whose works 
and beauties are to them exhaustless sources of wonder 
and admiration. 

The wisdom of Nature is nowhere more 

Good in Natural strikingly manifest than in implanting 

Pleasures a fondness for pleasure. The playful 

instinct introduces a wholesome variety 

in everyday experiences; it lends a healthy stimulus to 

nerve action, and thus promotes mental expansion, 

digestion, circulation of the blood, elimination, strength, 

endurance, resistance to disease, and ability to cope with 

obstacles. 



NERVOUS DEBILITY 67 

The stimulus of rational pleasures is natural, and 
therefore beneficial. Xo artificial stimulation can take 
its place, any more than artificial methods of treatment 
can take the place of natural laws in the cure of disease. 
It is in losing sight of this that we invite most of the ills 
afflicting us. Any artificial stimulation is a forcing of 
processes, a violation of natural laws, and punishment 
never fails to come. We have such artificial stimulants 
as alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee, which are bad enough; 
in addition, a vast amount of energy is expended in seek- 
ing new forms of self-injury. With distressing frequency 
announcements are made of some new nerve stimulant, 
some new way of impoverishing, crippling and wrecking 
the lives of men and women. 

It is not only the enjoyment of whole- 
Kinds of Natural some pleasures that gives the natural 
Stimulus stimulus to health. It is lent by the 

pressure of business, by association 
with helpful friends, by the influences of the home, and 
by the variety that occurs daily in mental application. 
Monotony is one of the most wearing things in life. It 
is one thing that makes prison life so terrible. Army life 
in time of peace would be injurious were it not for the 
diversions that soldiers are given. The man who -finds 
himself drifting into a life devoid of the variety that the 
normal man enjoys and that brings him so much benefit, 
may be sure that something is radically wrong, even 
though he may suffer no physical distress, and that suf- 
fering will be his portion sooner or later. A man's 
necessities or duties ma}' require hard, long and wearing 
exertion, but within bounds that will not hurt him if he 
retains his fondness for wholesome pleasure and variety. 
It is these that lend to his nervous system the natural 
stimulus that it requires to assure the healthy working of 
all the bodily functions. 

When a man finds that he has become a slave to some 
artificial stimulant, such as alcohol, tobacco, tea or 
coffee, and that he suffers discomfort from abandoning it 
temporarily, he may be certain that something is wrong. 



68 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Such fondness may result merely from a careless acquir- 
ing of the habit. If so, realization that he has become a 
slave to it should inform him that he has established an 
abnormal condition in the nervous system, and that such 
a condition is an invitation to weakness or disease. If 
the fondness has come as the result of nervous weakness, 
it means that the appetites have lost their integrity, 
have become a source of danger instead of help, and that 
a depraved craving in one direction is an indication that 
such tastes in any direction may arise. In either of these 
events, the wise man will leave nothing undone to over- 
come the fault. 

It is evidently intended by Nature that 

Importance of the capacity for affection should reside 

Affections in every human heart, because we know 

its great value in developing the finer 
and deeper qualities. The normal man loves or has loved 
some woman, because that is natural. He has a fondness 
for children, because he is one of their natural providers 
and protectors. If he is lacking in these qualities, he is 
the less a man; and as that is not natural, it behooves 
him to examine himself unsparingly, find the fault, and 
seek with all earnestness to overcome it. If his fault is 
hereditary, he should aim to prevent its transmission by 
putting forth a strong effort to overcome it. If it has 
come from a deterioration of his powers as the result of 
his own conduct, he should lose no time in seeking a 
remedy. 

A disease is serious in proportion to its general effect. 
The two principal ways in which the general economy is 
affected by disease are in a disturbance of nutrition and 
in an impairment of nerve function. Thus, dyspepsia 
prevents the proper digestion of the food, and hence the 
system is not properly fed; as a consequence, its strength 
is not maintained, and disease finds lodgment. The effect 
upon the nervous system in that case is secondary. It 
should be remembered, however, that dyspepsia would 
not have occurred if the nervous system had been sound. 
Nervous weakness caused the dyspepsia, and dyspepsia 



NERVOUS DEBILITY 69 

in turn further increases the nervous weakness. One 
local disease may injure the nervous system much 
more than another. 

Appendicitis, a steadily increasing and 
Numerous Fatal dangerous affliction, is traceable to 
Maladies nervous deterioration. The vermi- 

form appendage (appendix vermiformis) 
is a rudimentary closed tube leading out of the cecum, or 
lower bowel. If anything enters it from the cecum, 
inflammation, called appendicitis, results. In good 
health there is hardly any danger of an object entering 
it; but if the bowels have become weak or diseased, or 
if constipation be present, feces or small objects may 
enter the appendix. It is unnecessary to dilate on the 
dangers of the condition which such an occurrence cre- 
ates. Things go wrong in the human economy when 
some weakness exists. If such weakness is present, 
there is no foreseeing what affliction will appear. 

Paralysis, paresis ("softening of the brain"), loco- 
motor ataxia, asthma and palsy are common afflictions 
among men in middle age and past. Next to insanity, 
to which they are allied, they are the most dreadful of 
afflictions. All of them are due to nervous debility, and 
that in turn to irrational conduct. Palsy steadily pro- 
gresses toward extensive paralysis and death. The 
paretic — a half-witted, maundering creature in the prime 
of life — is a most wretched object. A paralytic is an 
object of pity. Apoplexy, caused by a hemorrhage in the 
brain, is due to weakness of the cranial blood vessels, and 
destroys many men. 

All of these afflictions, and many more, proceed from 
a depletion of nervous force. 

The extent of the good accomplished 
Debility May Be by the Viavi system of treatment for 
Overcome nervous weakness or debility has de- 

pended upon the foundation that 
Nature found for her building work. The wise course is 
not to wait until the more alarming symptoms have 



70 VIAVI HYGIENE 

appeared, but to put the treatment in thorough force at 
the earliest moment. If the nervous system is built up, 
conditions may be established that prohibit the advent 
of disease, or greatly modify or completely overcome 
diseases that have already found lodgment. At the same 
time, every phase of life is made brighter when the ner- 
vous system is strengthened. There is greater capacity 
for work, and for good and effective work; obstacles are 
more easily overcome; the tendency to be irritable is 
banished; the home, with all the affections and interests 
that center therein, comes to mean more and to bring 
added joys; the tendency to drift into pernicious habits 
is avoided. 

It is incumbent on a man or woman adopting the 
treatment to live most circumspectly, and to make every 
thought and act of life contribute to recovery. 

The Viavi system of treatment for. 
Treatment for nervous debility seeks to enrich the 
Debility blood; to establish normal digestion, 

by which the food is converted into 
life-giving nutriment; to make the circulation full and 
strong, so that the nutriment is properly distributed and 
the waste removed. These are conditions antagonistic 
to the advent of disease, and to the persistence of dis- 
ease if present. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. 
Viavi Capsule. Women suffering with uterine 
troubles should use the Viavi capsules as directed. 

Viavi Cerate should be copiously rubbed over the 
body for thirty minutes, particularly over the abdomen, 
stomach and back, once a day, and in severe cases more 
frequently. (See Application of Cerate, final chapter.) 

Viavi Royal, taken according to directions, is advised 
in serious cases. 

Baths. An important adjunct is baths (see Baths, 
final chapter), which should be of the kind that the 
sufferer finds most beneficial. Those that might be 
expected to produce shock, such as very cold or very 



NERVOUS DEBILITY 71 

hot baths, are to be strictly avoided, as they are in them- 
selves very debilitating. 

All stimulants are to be avoided, particularly alcohol 
and tobacco. If the sudden leaving off of tea or coffee 
produces great nervous distress, it should be used in 
steadily diminishing quantities, and finally abandoned 
altogether; but tobacco and alcoholic drinks are not to 
be temporized with; they must be controlled at once. 

All other complications should receive similar special 
care. Thus, if hemorrhoids are present, the treatment 
for that complaint should be adopted. (See chapter on 
The Rectum.) If the bladder is affected, the treatment 
given elsewhere for affections of the bladder should be 
employed, etc. 

Via vi Laxative should be used if the bowels are not 
regular. 

There are additional hygienic adjuncts and special 
forms of the treatment for men, which will be furnished 
by the Hygienic Department upon application by letter 
or in person. 

It will be understood that all irritating, wearing or 
disagreeable influences are to be avoided as much as pos- 
sible, that the bright side of everything be sought, and 
that intelligent attention be given to diet, rest, sleep and 
the regular evacuation of the bowels and bladder. If all 
these things receive faithful attention the sufferer may 
expect to find himself in a condition to enjoy life. The 
Viavi system of treatment has shown wonderful efficacy 
in such cases. 



CHAPTER XI. 



INSOMNIA 

This chapter is addressed to both men and women, 
with special regard for insomnia in men and the practices 
on their part which cause it. Yet the affliction is so 
common among women that they will find the chapter 
equally instructive. In the later chapters of this volume, 
the prevalent causes of insomnia among women are fully 
discussed. It often happens that they are troubled with 
sleeplessness not traceable to the causes there mentioned, 
but appearing to have an origin in unwise living, as it 
almost invariably is with men. In such cases, the dis- 
cussion and treatment herein given may bring the greatest 
benefits. 

By observing the habits of the lower 
Irrational Life animals, we find that insomnia is 
Is Cause unknown among them. This is true 

with regard to savages also. Insomnia 
is a disease of civilization. We should not be afflicted 
with it had we not departed from a rational way of living. 
When animals want sleep they find no difficulty in secur- 
ing it. 

Sleep is a condition in which recuperation of used-up 
forces is secured; it is normally desired when fatigue 
arrives; after it the forces are fresh and strong; and if it 
is not secured, weariness and depression are experienced, 
often accompanied with pain, such as headache. 

There is a special system of nerves 

Assimilation and whose work it is to direct what are 

Repair called the vegetative functions. This 

is the sympathetic system, and its 

forces have to do with nutrition and growth. It takes 

care of assimilation, the preparation of the food for the 



INSOMNIA 73 

uses of the body, and the proper distribution and use of 
nutriment. It is the most vital part of the system and 
is in the closest relation with the higher nervous forces, 
those that govern motion, thought, sensation and emotion. 
It is impossible for all of the forces of the body to be 
exercised to their full or even normal powers at the same 
time. When the higher forces of the nervous system 
are in full activity, that is to say, when we work, think or 
feel, the assimilative powers, upon which depend nutrition 
and recuperation, are not fully exercised, and hence con- 
sumption is greater than repair. 

In health the sympathetic system will 
How Sleep Is yield the right of way up to a certain 
Induced point only, and then it assumes control, 

for its recuperative powers are needed 
for health. When the consumption of the energy stored 
up reaches a point where the general economy would suf- 
fer if the consumption were uninterrupted, there comes 
a demand for sleep, and the higher forces yield. If they 
refuse through a perverse exercise of the will, or are un- 
able to yield because of a derangement that places them 
beyond control, sleep is kept at bay, the sympathetic sys- 
tem cannot do its recuperative work, and a breaking 
down ensues. 

In ordinary intoxication, the victim 
Great Resisting first suffers in his locomotive and men- 
Powers tal powers. He grows unsteady on 

his feet; his mind is weakened: his 
special senses are dulled. These conditions become 
worse until he is unable to move, and unconsciousness 
supervenes. If he has not taken a fatal amount he will 
lie helpless for hours. His brain and spinal centers 
governing his voluntary motor forces, and the centers 
upon which thought and the emotions depend, have been 
overwhelmed by the poison. The sympathetic system, 
however, keeps steadily at work, striving with all its 
might to throw out the poison, which it does through the 
lungs, skin and bladder. If it can keep its own strength 



74 VIAVI HYGIENE 

from being overwhelmed, it will save the life. This 
servant is now working with intelligence and fidelity to 
undo the harm wrought by the higher and nobler 
forces in taking the poison into the system. It works 
so long as it can stagger under the burden, and it yields 
to death only when it has been murdered by the higher 
forces that had been charged with preserving the organism. 

In. the case of the alcoholic poisoning 
Why Sleep Is the sympathetic system tries to over- 
Banished come the evils of a desperate situation; 
in that of normal sleep it lays a hand 
upon the higher forces, and says, in effect: "Thou hast 
done enough; thou hast used up all the strength that I can 
spare. Compose thyself, therefore, and sleep, so that 
whilst thou sleepest I may recuperate thy strength for 
further effort." With that it waves its magic wand; a 
feeling of drowsiness steals over the senses, the eyelids 
grow heavy, and slumber puts the body to rest. 

But what if there is so great a disturbance that the 
demand cannot be complied with? What if the strain 
has gone so far that the sympathetic system itself has 
become weakened, and cannot enforce its demand? 
What if the assimilative and recuperative powers have 
been so lowered that they cannot make the demand for 
sleep sufficiently imperative? Then we have insomnia. 

If we cannot sleep, we cannot recu- 
Many Evils of perate. Insomnia aggravates the con- 
Insomnia ditions that created it. It lowers the 

power of the sympathetic system to 
enforce its demand for sleep. In doing this, it impairs 
the assimilative powers, and thus the entire system suffers 
for nutriment. Meanwhile, the higher powers, those 
that are generally responsible for the evil, are impaired, 
because the sympathetic system is not permitted to repair 
the waste. Being awake, they keep on working, we may 
say, on an empty stomach. Even though we lie in bed, 
consciousness remains, and more is being consumed than 
is stored. The cells of the brain itself are wearing 



INSOMNIA 75 

out more rapidly than they are repaired. And worst of 
all, this is a strain that the mind itself cannot bear very 
long, arid insanity must result. Insomnia is almost 
invariably present in acute mania. Insomnia and insan- 
ity are closely related symptoms of the same conditiom 

The intense longing for sleep leads the 
Bad Effect of ill-informed and the reckless to seek 
Drugging unconsciousness at almost any cost. 
With many, death is preferable. The 
use of drugs to induce a stupefaction resembling sleep, 
produces a condition radically different from sleep, and 
one that is often worse than wakefulness. It is another 
application of the law that efforts to force natural pro- 
cesses create a greater harm than the condition that they 
are employed to better. Narcotics are a form of violence 
to the brain or heart functions; their effect is that of 
paralysis, which is the opposite of health and vigor. 
They create an abnormal condition. 

The only rational course, the only one that can bring 
healthful sleep, is one that brings about natural sleep in a 
natural way. The Viavi system of treatment for insomnia 
is designed to assist Nature in accomplishing that result, 
and its value has been proved. 

Insomnia has come from undue mental 
Some Causes of strain or a derangement of the nervous 
Insomnia system from some disease or act or 

habit. Anything that throws dele- 
terious elements into the blood or that interferes with 
assimilation may cause it. Fevers, indigestion and 
the like are causes. Any disease of the internal organs 
may bring it on. The habitual use of alcoholic drinks 
will almost inevitably produce insomnia. Bitters, ton- 
ics and other medicines containing alcohol will have a 
tendency to cause it. One of the most prevalent of all 
causes is the excessive use of tea or coffee. Tobacco 
is probably as bad. Extreme physical exhaustion may 
bring on a temporary attack. That common malady 
known as "nervousness" is the direct cause of most 
insomnia, but nervousness is a disease. 



76 VIAVI HYGIENE 

If there is any error in the suffer- 
Treatment for er's conduct, the first duty is to correct 
Insomnia it. If there is worry, anxiety* or over- 

work, it must be stopped; no recovery 
is possible unless that is done. The diet should be as 
simple and wholesome as possible, and the stomach given 
just as little work as is compatible with comfort and nour- 
ishment. Tea, coffee, tobacco, sedatives and alcoholic 
and other stimulants must be abruptly abandoned. No 
matter what discomfort may arise from stopping their 
use, the reward will immeasurably overbalance it. 
Under alcoholic stimulants may be mentioned brandy, 
whisky, wine, beer, ale, porter and all bitters and "appe- 
tizers" containing any of those ingredients. Abundant 
exercise should be taken every day in the open air. A 
sun bath (see final chapter) should be taken twice a 
week. The habits must be made perfectly regular, with 
regard particularly to evacuating the bowels every morn- 
ing; this is highly essential, as constipation or other 
irregularity in this regard poisons the blood and through 
it the brain. 

Via vi Liquid. If there is indigestion, Viavi liquid 
should be used. 

Viavi Laxative, taken according to directions, should 
be used if there is constipation. 

Viavi Capsules should be used as directed, by 
women afflicted with a uterine trouble. 

Viavi Royal is useful in all cases. 

If there is any derangement acting as the cause of 
insomnia, it should receive the Viavi treatment appro- 
priate to it. 

Habits. The bed should be sought at a regular liour 
every night. 

Viavi Cerate. Before retiring, have the Viavi cerate 
rubbed for at least twenty minutes over the entire length 
of the spine (see Cerate on Spine, final chapter), and over 
the abdomen and chest. 

The cerate is readily absorbed, and its aim is to 



INSOMNIA 77 

assist Nature to put the nerves in a condition to perform 
their functions. Upon this depend conditions favorable 
to health and antagonistic to disease. This treatment 
will generally produce sleep the very first night: but it 
should be persisted in for several months, until permanent 
nervous soundness is established. 

If the case proves refractory, the rubbing of the cerate 
should extend to the legs throughout their entire length, 
from the feet upward. 

Hot Bath axd Cold Spray. Then take a hot bath, 
lying in the water fifteen to thirty minutes, being gently 
rubbed with the bare hand while in the water. This 
is to be followed by a cold sponge or shower of half a 
minute's duration. Rub the body dry and go to bed. 

Cold Spinal Compress. In addition to the foregoing, 
a cold compress over the spine every other night before 
retiring may prove restful. (See Cold Spinal Compress, 
final chapter.) 

Cold Spinal Douche. This also is beneficial, as 
it changes nerve currents and equalizes circulation. 
(See Cold Spinal Douche, final chapter.) 

All sorts of artificial means to secure 

Aids Useful and sleep have been suggested, among them 

Useless counting, deep breathing, depressing 

the carotid, etc. They all have a 
doubtful or negative value, and none of them aims at the 
cause of the trouble. And they are irrational, as they 
impose work on the brain, which should be passive. If 
the sleeplessness is caused by worry, the harassing thought 
should be determinedly banished and pleasing thoughts 
indulged. 

Xo matter what the cause of the insomnia, the recalling 
of pleasant memories is useful. These do not tax the brain, 
as the effort is subjective, not objective. Every brain is 
stored with such memories. In recalling childhood one 
will find a long series of bright and peaceful recollections. 
The gentle voice and tender caress of a mother come hi ck 
through the yesrs. Thpre were days of dolls and kite.-; 



78 VIAVI HYGIENE 

a busy stream in the forest, a slow, deep river, or the boom- 
ing surf of the ocean, has its place; the sweet songs of a 
voice long stilled come back. Perhaps in a country not 
yet discovered by us are watchful eyes and yearning 
hearts; and above all else is the great Maker of Harmonies, 
more than willing to attune the sufferer's discordant 
nerves to the peaceful song of Nature. Reverent con- 
templation of Nature and its Creator will absolutely 
bring peace. 

From the semblance of sleep secured by drugs one does 
not wake refreshed and grateful. One does not bound 
with elastic spirit and body into the new day. Natural 
sleep brings an exquisitely harmonious rebuilding that 
extends to every element of being, physical, mental, 
spiritual. A drugged sleep brings nothing like that. 
From a natural sleep produced from a faithful following 
of the directions given above, one wakes with gladness 
that the sleep*has been so long and sweet, and that feeling 
is the living principle that begins the day. 



CHAPTER XII. 



CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 

(colds, deafness, hay fever, xasal polypi) 

MUCOUS membrane lines the hollow organs of the 
body and the cavities and canals that have 
external openings. It is so called by reason 
of the mucus, a fluid by which it is constantly 
moistened. It lines the nose, mouth, Eustachian tubes 
(extending from the back of the mouth to the ear), 
throat, bronchial tubes (extending into the lung cells), 
eyelids, lachrymal ducts; also the esophagus (gullet), 
stomach, intestines, rectum, urethra, bladder, ureters, 
kidneys, Fallopian tubes, womb, vagina and external 
generative organs. The membrane is soft and velvety, 
its blood and nerve supply being very abundant. 

When inflammation of the mucous 

Meaning of membrane causes an abnormal 

Catarrh discharge of mucus, the condition is 

known as catarrh. The nature and 
quantity of the discharge vary as the disease progresses. 
Catarrh means an inflammation of the mucous mem- 
brane, without reference to the cause. The name is 
derived from the part affected. Inflammation of the 
lining membrane of the nose is known as coryza, nasal 
catarrh or hay fever; of the stomach, gastritis; of the 
bladder, cystitis, etc. These catarrhal discharges, which 
escape from the different orifices of the body, vary not 
only in consistency and quantity, but also in color and 
odor, according to the stage and extent of the inflamma- 
tion. 

The intention of the Viavi system of treatment is to 
assist Nature to reduce inflammation, either acute or 
chronic, without regard to its situation. Inflammation 



80 VIAVI HYGIENE 

of the mucous membrane (catarrh) means that its vessels 
are holding more than their normal supply of blood. Its 
glands become abnormally active; hence the copious dis- 
charges, which are taken from the blood. As these dis- 
charges represent a drain, every effort should be made 
to overcome the inflammation and in this way remove 
the cause of the discharge-in other words, cure the catarrh. 

When a cold has been contracted, the 
How Colds Are blood has been driven from the surface 
Contracted of the body to the interior. The capil- 
laries in or near the outer skin of the 
body have become contracted, and the blood cannot find 
its way to the surface. This first becomes cold; but as 
the vessels contract deeper and deeper into the tissues, 
the body becomes more and more chilled; hence the 
sensation of chilliness in the region of the back, and 
eventually all over the body. The heart is able to protect 
itself by throwing the blood constantly from it as it enters, 
but other parts of the body cannot do so. As a result 
we see the mucous membrane of the body, that is, 
the lungs, bowels, stomach, kidneys, bladder, etc., over- 
distended with the blood that has been driven within, 
because they cannot resist the invasion. 

Susceptibility to colds shows a general 

The Significance weakness, which is a menace to health 

of Colds and often life. If our bodies possess a 

normal amount of vitality, atmos- 
pheric conditions will affect us but little; but if our 
standard of health is below the best, we become more 
and more susceptible to every little change. 

Colds are not only evidence of weakness, but because 
they make a draft on the forces of the body they increase 
the weakness out of which they arise, rendering the system 
liable to invasion by other diseases, particularly those af- 
fecting the respiratory, genital and urinary organs. It is 
common knowledge that many cases of pneumonia have 
grown out of severe colds. In women, suppression of 
the menses, with all the dangers accompanying that con- 



CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 81 

dition, is frequently caused by colds. Many other serious 
troubles may ensue. Prudence suggests the promptest 
measures for curing a cold and thorough treatment for 
rendering the system strong to resist it. 

At the first indication of a cold, equalize 
Viavi Treatment the circulation by bringing the blood 
for Colds to the surface of the body. For this 

purpose, a number of baths are de- 
scribed in the closing chapter. Use the one most con- 
venient . 

Baths. The salted towel (see closing chapter), will 
prove excellent, but if it is not available, a rough bath 
towel will suffice. If a hot bath, followed by a cold spray 
or sponge (see Hot Bath and Cold Spray, same chapter) , 
can be taken with comfort, it is the best. If a hot bath 
is not convenient, use a hot foot-bath. 

Viavi Cerate. After taking a hot bath, dry the 
body thoroughly and quickly and go to bed. While 
under the covers, rub Viavi cerate over the chest, back 
and front. (See final chapter for Nasal Massage, Cerate 
on Spine, Back, Chest.) 

Viavi Liquid diluted one-third with water must be 
sprayed into the nose one minute every hour until a 
decided change for the better is observed. (See final 
chapter for Nasal Douche.) 

Rest. A quiet rest in bed for five or six hours is of 
the greatest importance. If one has perspired copiously r 
the body should be dried thoroughly with a soft towel 
under cover. While one is resting, the temperature 
should be allowed to become normal, or a fresh cold will 
be caught after rising. 

Diet. This should be light and nourishing. 

Acute nasal catarrh (coryza), or a cold 
Acute Nasal in the head, is an acute inflammation 
Catarrh of the nasal mucous membrane, ac- 

companied with a discharge. It may 
confine itself to one side of the nose, but is oftener in both; 
or it may extend to the pharynx, larynx and air passages 



82 VIAVI HYGIENE 

below, or affect cavities communicating with the nasal 
passages. 

The causes of acute nasal catarrh are many, among 
them exposure to sudden changes of temperature; 
draughts of cold air without precaution to protect the body 
and prevent a rapid radiation of its heat; cold, wet feet; 
sleeping, working or sitting in ill-ventilated rooms; any 
sudden chilling of the body; permitting small children to 
crawl about on the floor in cold draughts, when the tem- 
perature there is from two to four degrees lower than in 
any other part of the room. 

One is conscious generally of taking a 

Acute Catarrh cold; is chilly and experiences difficulty 

Symptoms in becoming warm ; there are depression, 

itching of the nose, chills up and down 
the back, sneezing followed by a partial closure of the 
nostrils, watery discharges, etc. This, the first stage, is 
quickly followed by fever, and the mouth and throat are 
generally dry; there is frontal (forehead) headache, and 
after a time the nose nearly closes. The discharges 
from the nose, watery for three or four days, become 
thick and yellow. There is pressure at the bridge of the 
nose. The sense of smell is impaired. In women the 
bladder often becomes weak, so that when coughing or 
sneezing the urine escapes. 

If no chronic trouble exists, such a 
Indication of catarrhal condition can be broken up 
Weakness in a few days ; but if a chronic condition 
first existed it will not yield so readily. 
Persons who are subject to frequent attacks of cold in the 
head give evidence that there is a weakness which they 
should endeavor to overcome before there is a develop- 
ment of chronic catarrh. 

The Viavi system of treatment, by assisting Nature to 
reduce inflammation, is a necessity in every household, as 
the catarrhal cases where it has been faithfully used 
readily yielded and the system was left with less sus- 
ceptibility to taking cold. 



CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 83 

This form of catarrh is generally the 
Chronic Nasal result of repeated acute attacks, or an 
Catarrh uncured severe acute attack. Con- 

stantly breathing air loaded with dust 
is frequently the cause, as is also the use of intoxicants. 
Chronic catarrh is prevalent also among those who are 
poorly nourished and those with a scrofulous constitution. 
It also frequently follows eruptive fevers and exhausting 
leucorrhea. Although in most cases repeated attacks of 
cold in the head cause the chronic condition, in a large 
number of cases a general weakness awaits only an irrita- 
tion of the nasal passages. 

The symptoms of simple chronic nasal 

Nasal Catarrh catarrh may be almost the same as 

Symptoms those of acute catarrh, except that they 

are continuous; but during changeable 
weather, especially damp weather, all of the symptoms 
become more intense. As the disease progresses there 
will develop headaches; the sufferer grows stupid, the 
eyes dull; the appetite is lost, and there are constant 
hawking and spitting. On account of the swelling of the 
lining membrane, and often a thickening of the nasal 
cartilages and bones, the nose partially closes; there is 
more or less difficulty in breathing. The breath becomes 
offensive, the voice changes, and there may or may not be 
sneezing. There will be an indisposition to take exercise, 
and difficulty in concentrating the mind. 

The discharges vary. They may be watery, profuse 
and acrid, or tenacious, thick, purulent (pus-like) and 
bloody. They may escape from the nostrils, or drop back- 
ward into the throat. There are ringing in the ears and 
partial or complete loss of hearing, often accompanied 
with a discharge from the ears. Some or all of these 
symptoms, as well as many others, may be present. 
Many cases terminate in chronic bronchitis and consump- 
tion. Sometimes but a few of the foregoing symptoms 
may appear and yet the conditions prove fatal. 



84 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Chronic catarrh eventually develops 

What Constitutes into an ulcerated stage, known as ozena. 

Ozena The discharge is now copious, thick, 

purulent and offensive. The lining 
membrane first becomes ulcerated, but in time the ul- 
ceration extends deeper, until the cartilage and bones of 
the nose become involved. Hard lumps form in the nose, 
or that organ may be lined with thick, tough, brownish 
incrustations. These are discharged at intervals of a 
few days, but are quickly succeeded by another crop. 
The septum (partition) of the nose is completely de- 
stroyed in many cases, and holes may be eaten through 
into the roof of the mouth. 

No disease renders a person more miserable than ex- 
tensive chronic catarrh. A handkerchief must be used 
constantly. The sense of smell becomes so badly im- 
paired that the fetid nature of the discharge is unnoticed 
by the sufferer. It drives his friends from him. The 
air in the room that he occupies soon becomes poisoned and 
is a menace to the health of the most robust. The senses 
of hearing and taste also in time become impaired. Such 
sufferers are in no condition to realize what their presence 
is to a person with an acute sense of smell. 

Chronic catarrh is not confined to the 

How the Disease nose. " The inflammation and ensuing 

Extends ulceration creep along the mucous 

membrane, affecting the Eustachian 
tube, which leads to the ear from the throat, and in time 
the hearing becomes impaired and in many cases lost. 
It also creeps downward, affecting the pharynx and the 
larynx, there causing diseases which are taken into con- 
sideration by the Viavi method and treated with chronic 
catarrh of the nose. Other of its effects are bronchitis and 
indigestion, either by extension of the inflammation or by 
infection. As the secretions from this disease are poison- 
ous, swallowing them introduces a poison into the stomach. 
The products of catarrh are taken up by the blood and 
thus work injury to the entire system. 

Catarrh is given various names, but only to designate 



CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 85 

the different stages of the disease, or the nature of the in- 
flammation as it gradually progresses into extensively 
destructive ulceration. 

The Viavi system of treatment for 

Treatment for catarrh, from its mildest form to the 
Catarrh extensive ulcerated form (ozena), is 

the same, except that more time is 
required in the chronic than the acute form. 

Viavi Liquid. Mix twenty drops of the Viavi liquid 
with a tablespoonful of cold water, preferably boiled. 
Spray with the straight tube of an atomizer into the 
nostrils, and also into the back of the mouth, behind the 
hanging palate. For spraying into the nose and throat 
through the mouth, use the curved tube of the atomizer, 
turning it upward for the nose and downward for the 
throat. The mixture may be made stronger or weaker, 
as required. If the mouth spray gags, use the mixture 
as a gargle. The Nasal Douche may be used instead of 
the Spray for the Nose. (See closing chapter). If the 
ulceration is extensive, the nose and throat should be 
sprayed three times daily, morning, noon and night; 
but if this is not convenient, twice daily will suffice. If 
the inflammation has not become destructively extensive, 
spraying night and morning will suffice. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used over the nose, throat, 
chest and spine daily. (See Cerate on Spine, closing 
chapter.) 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Royal also should be used as directed, to build 
and sustain the strength, which in chronic catarrh is 
always far below the normal. 

Baths. The circulation should receive special atten- 
tion. A Viavi Brush Bath (final chapter) three times a 
week, or Salted Towel rub daily, is advised, but one may 
use the bath best suited. (See Baths, closing chapter.) 

Clothing. If there is sweating, care should be taken 
not to chill afterward. The clothes should be warm, but 



86 VI AVI HYGIENE 

light, and extra soles in the shoes will be better than a 
chest protector. 

Diet should be nourishing. 

Nasal polypi are small, sack-like 

Origin of Nasal growths hanging in the nose. If allow- 

Polypi ed to develop and fill the nasal cavity 

they may have to be removed with 
instruments. Hence the necessity of giving them very 
early attention. Frequent colds in the head, hay fever 
and other conditions that repeatedly irritate the lining 
are the causes. Unless rational treatment is employed 
to restore to this delicate membrane its natural tone, 
these hanging parts multiply and become more and more 
relaxed until the nasal passages are almost or completely 
filled. Breathing through the nostrils becomes greatly 
impeded or entirely suspended, and the sense of smell is 
impaired or permanently lost. These growths in time so 
press upon the delicate nasal bones that they also be- 
come diseased. 

If it be remembered that polypus growths are never 
found where the mucous membrane is healthy, a great 
deal of pain and annoyance may be avoided by simple 
treatment in the first place to assist Nature to put these 
parts in a healthy condition. Here, as elsewhere, there 
are two processes constantly occurring, both of which 
are essential to health. One is the building up of fresh 
work, so to speak, and the other is the taking down or re- 
moving of that which has done its duty. When one or 
the other of these processes fails to go on effectually, a mix- 
ing of waste and nutriment takes place, and disease arises. 

Via vi Liquid. Diluted Viavi liquid is 

Treatment for to be sprayed twice daily into the 

Polypi nostrils. (See Viavi Spray, Viavi 

Nasal Douche, final chapter.) Viavi 

liquid should be taken into the stomach as directed. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used upon and in the nose and 
forehead once a day very thoroughly. (See Nasal Massage, 
final chapter) , and also daily over the spine to strengthen 
the whole nervous system. 



CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 87 

Baths. The circulation should be assisted by em- 
ploying one of the baths best suited to surroundings. 
(See Baths, final chapter.) The aim of the Viavi system 
of treatment is to cause these growths to come away or to 
disappear by absorption. 

When a cure has been perfected under the Viavi 
system of treatment, the whole system was so regulated 
and strengthened as to be fortified against a probable 
return of this disease. The badly diseased lining of the 
nasal passages that had become thickened and ulcerated, 
gradually regained its natural delicate, moist, thin and 
healthy condition, and breathing became comfortable. 

The Eustachian tube forms the small 

Deafness from air passage bet *veen the middle ear 

Catarrh and the throat. A continuation of the 

mucous membrane of the nose and 
throat lines the tube. Inflammation of the mucous 
membrane creeps, seldom confining itself to one place. 
Catarrh of the nose and throat in time affects the 
Eustachian tube, which thickens until it closes, and hear- 
ing becomes partially or wholly destroyed. The loss 
of hearing may be progressive and extend over a period 
of years. The alarm is sounded when the sufferer has a 
cracking sensation in the ears when blowing the nose, and 
a ringing in the ears or noises in the head at other times. 
The hearing is suddenly lost at times and as suddenly 
returns, but in time it fails to return. In the progressive 
form a great degree of deafness is present before the suf- 
ferer becomes aware. The noises in the head often almost 
drive the sufferer distracted. When the inflammatory 
process has progressed to extensive ulceration, the drum 
of the ear may become perforated, permitting the escape 
of offensive discharges, with small pieces of bone. 

Catarrh should not be permitted to 
The Treatment for progress until the senses are impaired 
Catarrhal Deafness or destroyed, nor until the inflamma- 
tory process has crept to other parts. 
The Viavi system of treatment as given for acute catarrh 



88 VIAV1 HYGIENE 

should be promptly employed at the first signs of a cold. 
The treatment for deafness and for disease of the ear that 
result from catarrh is the same as that given for chronic 
nasal catarrh, as the trouble has extended to the ear by 
means of the Eustachian tube. (See Treatment for 
Catarrh. The treatment for deafness from other causes 
is given in the chapter on Eye and Ear.) 

Via vi Cerate should be used about the ear, twice 
daily. After applying the cerate thoroughly in the 
morning and seeing that a good quantity has been ab- 
sorbed, the skin should be cleansed, especially when one 
must leave home. It is not the quantity of cerate left 
on the surface, but the amount absorbed, here as else- 
where, that gives good results. 

Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Via vi Ear Liquid is to be used by dropping a few- 
drops into the ear at least three times daily, and more 
frequently if necessary. The ear should be protected, 
so that one cannot take cold, by putting a pledget of 
absorbent cotton in the ear, or the ear may be covered. 

Hay fever, rose cold, hay asthma, 

The Causes of pollen catarrh, peach cold, yearly cold 

Hay Fever and autumnal catarrh are names given 

to a recurring summer or autumnal 
attack of acute catarrh to which some persons are sus- 
ceptible from the presence of certain pollens or special 
emanations in the atmosphere. Several physical con- 
ditions are thought to make one subject to it. Among 
them are a predisposing constitutional condition, ner- 
vousness, a peculiar sensitiveness of the nasal membrane, 
external irritation, and nervous weakness. While the 
pollen from one plant will act as a violent irritant to one, 
it will have no effect upon another. 

Hay fever is frequently complicated 

Symptoms of with asthma, the attacks being worse 

Hay Fever at night. It generally begins with an 

itching of the nose and roof of the 

mouth, sneezing (which at times is long continued, 



CATARRHAL CONDITIONS 89 

violent and exhausting), free watery discharges from the 
nostrils, and an itching and burning of the eyes, causing 
copious tears of an acrid nature, burning and excoriating 
the skin wherever they touch. In the onset, there is a 
chill, followed by fever and frontal headache; the eyes 
become dim and sensitive, the sense of smell is lost, and 
often the sense of taste. 

An annual hay-fever sufferer is an object of pity, but 
not in the old and hopeless sense, which drove these 
sufferers from home for several weeks or months of the 
year, a change of climate being the only means of avoiding 
this distressing affliction. 

While some cases of hay fever have proved incurable, a 
large number have yielded to the Via vi system of treatment. 

Viavi Liquid. Spray or douche the 

Treatment for nose and spray the throat with diluted 

Hay Fever Viavi liquid. Three times a day will 

generally suffice, but if the irritation is 

extreme, the nose and throat may be douched or sprayed 

once an hour, using the liquid diluted somewhat more 

than is advised in the directions on the bottle. Take 

Viavi liquid internally as directed. 

Viavi Cerate. Apply Viavi cerate freely over the 
cheeks and in and around the nose. (See Nasal Massage, 
final chapter). Also apply the cerate on the lips to pro- 
tect them from the discharges. If hay fever is complicated 
with asthma, the cerate should be applied thoroughly over 
the chest, both back and front. 

Baths best suited to the individual should be taken. 
(See Baths, same chapter.) 

Exercise in the open air, not carried to exhaustion, 
is highly beneficial/ 

Diet should be light, abundant and nourishing, with 
care to avoid food that distresses in the least. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
THE LUNGS 

(BRONCHITIS, PNEUMONIA, PLEURISY, consumption) 

THE lungs, in which the bronchia (bronchial tubes) 
terminate, are the essential organs of respiration, 
although the taking of air into the lungs does not 
strictly constitute respiration, as the lungs merely 
introduce oxygen into the blood and give out carbon- 
dioxide. True respiration takes place in all of the tissues 
and organs. 

The lungs are double, consisting of a right and a left 
lung, which occupy the two sides of the chest. They are 
separated by the heart and a small space. The right lung 
is shorter and broader than the left, and is divided into 
three unequal lobes. The left lung has but two lobes. 

The lungs are composed of prolonga- 
Purification of tions and ramifications of the bronchia 
the Blood and of the pulmonary arteries and 
veins, their subdivisions being sup- 
ported by a fine tissue. In health the action of the air 
cells on one side of this tissue and of the capillaries on 
the other keeps time with the breathing. As the chest 
expands and contracts, both air and blood flow in and 
are forced out. They thus exchange elements and pro- 
mote the processes of life. 

Air flowing into the lungs carries to the air-cells 
oxygen, which is immediately absorbed by the blood in 
the capillaries. 

The air flows out of the lungs loaded with carbon- 
dioxide, which the venous capillaries have given up to 
it and which is a part of the waste from the entire system. 
When the blood flows into the lungs it is impure; when it 



BRONCHITIS 91 

flows out it is pure. The opposite takes place in the air 
that is breathed. The reader will have some idea how 
necessary a normal condition is to oxidize properly the 
volumes of blood constantly passing through the lungs. 

In pulmonary (lung) diseases the function of the 
lungs, the changing of venous blood into arterial blood, 
is partially suspended. 

This impairs the functions of the whole bod}', as no 
part receives its proper share of oxygen; or if parts of the 
body are diseased, the amount of impurity, or waste, is 
so excessive that the lungs cannot purify the blood. 
The blood thus becomes so impure that the intense 
effort on the part of Nature to purify it, causes the tissues 
there to break down, and we thus have one form of 
pulmonary disease. 



BRONCHITIS 

In the pharynx, situated back of the mouth, are two 
openings. The posterior opening leads into the esophagus 
(gullet), the passage to the stomach. The anterior is the 
opening into the larynx. At this opening commences 
the trachea, or windpipe, which is about three-fourths of 
an inch in diameter and from four to four and a half 
inches in length. It is partially composed of rings of 
cartilage, which vary from sixteen to twenty in number; 
they prevent the tube from collapsing. As the trachea 
passes into the chest it divides into two parts, known as 
the right and the left bronchia, or the bronchial tubes. 
They also are provided with rings of cartilage. These 
bronchia enter and form part of the lung substance. 
They divide and subdivide until their minute terminals 
end in the little rounded air cells of the lungs. 

When the mucous membrane lining the 

The Nature of bronchial tubes becomes inflamed, the 

Bronchitis condition is bronchitis; it may be either 

acute or chronic. The acute slowly 

develops into the chronic if neglected or does not receive 



92 YIAVI HYGIENE 

the proper treatment. When the mucous membrane is 
inflamed it thickens and its secretions are .excessive, 
causing difficulty in breathing, especially when the 
inflammation has extended downward to the smaller 
bronchia within the lungs. This form is known as 
capillary bronchitis. It is dangerous in infants and those 
who are debilitated, from inability to free the tubes of the 
accumulated mucus. This prevents the aeration of the 
blood, and explains the presence of excessive poisonous 
matter in the blood. 

When the larger bronchial tubes are the seat of the 
inflammation the cough is likely violent. There is a 
tickling in the middle of the chest, or a raw, burning, 
uncomfortable feeling. In acute bronchitis the sputum 
(matter coughed up) is thick mucus, and may be streaked 
with blood, but as the acute stage merges into the chronic 
the sputum changes to a yellowish or greenish hue. When 
the inflammation is confined to the smaller bronchi there 
are weakness and difficulty of breathing, but no rattling; 
when it is confined to the larger tubes the rattling of 
mucus may be heard. 

Acute bronchitis is generally caused by colds; chronic 
bronchitis, from neglected acute attacks or from a con- 
tinuation downward of a catarrhal condition of the 
nose, throat, tonsils, etc. 

The treatment for both acute and 
Treatment for chronic bronchitis, tonsilitis (inflam- 
Bronchitis mation of the tonsils), pharyngitis 
(inflammation of the pharynx), laryn- 
gitis (inflammation of the larynx); and asthma (an 
irritation of the nerves within the bronchial mucus 
membrane) is the same; hence it will not be necessary to 
describe minutely each inflammatory process. 

Via vi Liquid should be sprayed in the throat three 
times daily; in severe conditions more frequently. While 
spraying, the breath should be inhaled. Spray or douche 
the nose three times daily with the liquid. The liquid 
should also be taken into the stomach as directed. 



PNEUMONIA £3 

Viavi Cerate should be rubbed twice daily on the 
throat, and on the chest, both back and front. (See 
Application" of Cerate, final chapter.) 

Via vi Capsules should be used by women as directed. 

Cold Compress ox Chest. See final chapter. 

Baths. To bring the blood to the surface, take a 
hot bath and cold spray before retiring. (See Hot Bath 
and Cold Spray, final chapter.) 

The conditions thus treated are the 
Design of the result of reduced nerve force and im- 
Treatment perfect circulation. The Viavi system 
of treatment is aimed to assist Nature 
in establishing the healthy circulation of the blood in 
these parts, reducing the inflammation, that the mem- 
branes may receive their normal amount of nutriment 
and also eliminate the waste. 

The sufferer should breathe through the nostrils, never 
through the mouth. Air breathed through the nostrils 
becomes moist and warm, and -the particles of dust are 
caught in the hair of the nostrils — a wise provision of 
Nature. 

Prompt attention should always be given an inflam- 
matory condition of the mucous membrane lining the 
bronchial tubes. Bronchitis has been aptly termed 
''the stepping stone to consumption." 



PNEUMONIA 

If the lungs are inflamed their blood vessels become 
gorged with blood. Thus pressure is brought to bear 
upon the minute ramifications of the. bronchia, so that 
they cannot open properly and admit air. The lungs 
become swollen, and press upon nerves; consequently 
breathing or coughing is painful. The pain between the 
shoulders is severe. There is no loss of power in the 
external muscles of breathing, but there is great loss of 



9* VIAVI HYGIENE . 

elasticity in the iungs themselves. This reduces the 
exchange between the used-up gases and the atmosphere, 
upon which life depends. The pain in pneumonia does 
not depend alone upon the swelling of the lungs, as the 
stagnant blood soon sets up the fiery action of destruc- 
tive inflammation. This not only causes severe pain, but 
creates great danger, as it spreads through the whole cir- 
culation, and fever is soon the result. 

At the first sign of pneumonia the 
Pneumonia Is attendance of a physician should be 
Dangerous procured without delay, as the on- 
slaught is often violent, the develop- 
ment of the disease rapid, and the recuperative power 
seriously crippled and given little time in which to work. 
The Viavi system of treatment has been successfully 
employed in overcoming the disease, but is not recom- 
mended for it, as the natural processes set in operation 
under the treatment may prove slower than the urgency 
of any particular case requires. Meanwhile, as prompt- 
ness in attacking the disease is of the greatest importance, 
much may be done, even to the saving of life, by employ- 
ing the Viavi system of treatment immediately and per- 
sisting in it faithfully until the physician arrives. This 
treatment has been a blessing in that way, and in cases 
where a physician could not be secured. But every 
effort should be made at once to procure a physician. 

When the sufferer first feels that a 
Treatment for cold has settled upon the lungs or in 
Pneumonia the chest, and finds difficulty in breath- 
ing, the bed should be sought at once. 
The feet are to be put into a hot foot bath, the foot-tub 
being placed in the bed. By lying on the back and ele- 
vating the knees the feet will rest easily in the tub. A 
hot-water bag is now placed between the shoulders, and 
a towel, folded to four thicknesses and wrung from cold 
water, laid on the chest, the sufferer meanwhile being 
carefully covered. If the sufferer is lying between the 
blankets, so much the better, as then there is less chance 



PLEURISY 95 

of chilling. When the compress on the chest becomes 
warm it should be replaced with a cold one. These should 
be kept up for about thirty minutes or an hour, after 
which, the body having been dried, the feet should be 
withdrawn from the bath, dried, and well rubbed with 
Viavi cerate. If sweating has occurred, the sufferer 
should be rubbed dry with a soft towel beneath the 
covers. 

Viavi Cerate is to be rubbed thoroughly upon the 
entire chest, from neck to waist. (See Application of 
Cerate, final chapter.) The hot-water bag is now to be 
removed and the sufferer allowed to rest. 

If the attack is severe this treatment is to be repeated 
both night and morning; if not, once a day will suffice, 
but two applications of the cerate will be necessary daily. 
The entire trunk should be well protected by heavy 
flannel. 

Viavi Liquid taken internally in ten drop doses, in a 
little hot water, four times a day, is also advised. 

The extremities should never be allowed to become 
cold, but should be kept warm with a hot-water bag and 
soft woolen hose. 

Diet should be a liquid one, and light and nourishing. 

The greatest care should always be taken not to get 
up and move about too soon, as one is very likely to suf- 
fer a relapse, which is always much more serious than the 
original attack. 



PLEURISY 

Pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura, the membrane 
covering the lungs and lining the chest walls, and is 
characterized by sharp, stabbing pains, especially when 
the membrane is stretched from inflation of the lungs in 
breathing. This causes the sufferer to take shallow 
breaths or to lie upon the affected side, in order to avoid 
the pains as much as possible; the result is improper 



96 VIAVI HYGIENE 

aeration of the blood. Pleurisy sometimes comes from 
taking a severe cold, and is a common accompaniment of 
pneumonia. Hence it is a secondary condition of some 
disease within the lungs, and disappears with the removal 
of the primary cause. The bed should be sought imme- 
diately on the first symptoms of pleurisy and should not 
be left until every indication of it has been gone for two 
or three days and the disease causing it (if pneumonia) 
has been entirely eradicated. 

Although pleurisy in itself is rarely 

The Danger of dangerous, it may result in adhesion of 

Adhesions the pleura to other parts, and these 

will tend to make the breathing imper- 
fect and sometimes painful. Where such adhesions have 
occurred, they have disappeared under the Viavi system 
of treatment employed for the lung trouble causing the 
pleurisy which produced the adhesions. In other cases, 
particularly where recovery from pneumonia has left 
adhesions of the pleura, it is highly important that they 
be overcome. The Viavi system of treatment for this 
condition has brought happy results, the adhesions dis- 
appearing by absorption as in adhesions of other internal 
organs. 

The pains from pleurisy and those from 

Pains May Be intercostal neuralgia (neuralgia of the 

Neuralgic muscles between the ribs) are often so 

much alike that from the pains alone 
one may not be able to determine which of the two con- 
ditions is present; but the sharp, stabbing pains, worse 
when breathing deeply and relieved by lying on the 
affected side, furnish the key. If the pains are neuralgic, 
the sufferer is more than likely subject to neuralgia in 
other parts of the body, particularly the head. If they 
are pleuritic, bronchitis or pneumonia, or even tubercu- 
losis of the lungs, is likely to be present. As a rule, the 
pains quickly disappear under the use of cold compresses 
for two hours daily, with the feet in hot water (see Cold 
Compress with Feet in Hot Water, last chapter), and 



CONSUMPTION 97 

the Viavi cerate if they are neuralgic, and may persist 
two or three days under the treatment if they are pleur- 
itic. In any event, the treatment should be persisted 
in until the pains have disappeared. The least inclina- 
tion to catch or shorten the breath in order to avoid pain 
caused by deep, full breathing demands prompt treat- 
ment, persisted in until the lungs may be freely inflated 
to their fullest capacity, as otherwise the blood cannot 
be properly purified in the lungs, and the retained poison- 
ous waste will undermine the system and invite disease 
of any kind. 



CONSUMPTION 

(tuberculosis of the lungs) 

Pulmonary consumption results from various morbid 
processes in the lung tissue, such as repeated pneumonia, 
bronchial catarrh, etc., or it may arise from weakness or 
an inherited tendency to lung trouble or an inherited or 
acquired tuberculous condition. It may be acquired 
from lack of light and of pure air, warmth and exercise. 
Anything that interferes with the nourishment of the 
body or even depresses the nervous system may lead to 
its development. 

Consumption is responsible for more deaths than any 
other disease; still, so-called incurable cases have been 
cured. Even without any special treatment, tuberculosis 
of the lungs has been cured many times. Years ago, before 
the Viavi system of treatment was discovered, the editor 
of this chapter was so far advanced in the disease that he 
suffered dangerous hemorrhages from the lungs, and they 
threatened death at any moment. He perfectly recovered 
without any treatment further than hope and a judicious 
manner of living. This and many other instances prove 
that consumption is by no means an incurable disease, 
and that a fatal termination of it is unnecessary in many 
of the cases that so terminate, and that recoverv may 
reasonably be expected where it is taken in hand eari^ 



98 VIAVI HYGIENE 

We do not wish to be understood as 

Experience of saying that every case of consumption 

Treatment can be cured by the use of the Viaxi 

system of treatment. Far from it, but 
equally emphatic are we in declaring that not every case 
pronounced incurable has been correctly diagnosed, as 
many of these have yielded to the Viavi system of treat- 
ment. Here, as in other malignant diseases, the treat- 
ment is expectant. The sufferer may respond to treat- 
ment and may not; but so long as there is life there is 
hope. The aim of the treatment is to lend Nature the 
aid that she requires to effect a cure. If there is sufficient 
vitality, by which the recuperative powers can respond, 
there is hope. 

Often where the bacilli of the disease have been found 
in the sputum, users of the Viavi system of treatment have 
recovered and regained their health. In these cases the 
lung tissue was not extensively involved. Persons suf- 
fering from incurable pulmonary disease have come under 
the Viavi system of treatment and lived long and useful 
lives. 

The forms of Viavi to be used in con- 
Treatment for sumption are the Capsules, Cerate, 
Consumption Liquid and Royal. Women are to use 

the Capsules in the vagina, men in the 
rectum, once daily, on retiring. 

Viavi Cerate should be applied over the entire 
trunk, both back and front, daily, only a small part of the 
body being exposed at a time, to prevent chilling. (See 
Application of Cerate, final chapter.) 

Viavi Liquid is to be sprayed into the throat three 
times a day with an atomizer, meanwhile drawing in the 
breath slowly. The liquid is to be diluted one-third with 
water, but if that proves too strong, diluted one-half. 
Prepare a quantity sufficient for two days, thoroughly 
cleansing the atomizer before mixing a fresh supply = 
Viavi Liquid should also be taken internally as directed. 

Viavi Royal should be taken as directed. 



CONSUMPTION 99 

Via vi Laxative is required if there is constipation. 

Baths. See Baths, in final chapter. 

Sleep. As fresh air is an enemy to tuberculosis, 
sleep outdoors, summer and winter, on a covered porch, 
or in a tent with front open. Cover with warm but light 
bed-clothes. Keep warm. Protect against draughts. 

Diet should be abundant and varied, but only the 
most easily digested food should be eaten. 

Exercise for Lungs. After partially dressing, 
stand at an open door, placing one hand on either door 
jamb, with the feet about a foot from the threshold. Let 
the body go gently forward as far as you can towards the 
door. Then push the body in an upright position. This 
will throw back the shoulders and strengthen the muscles 
of the chest which assist in breathing, thus increasing the 
breathing capacity. Do this slowly five times at first, 
and increase the number of times as you grow stronger. 
Never tire yourself. Stop short of that. 

Deep Breathing. Several times a day practice 
breathing as deeply as possible without producing pain 
in the lungs, or coughing. After slowly filling the lungs, 
hold the breath as long as you conveniently can, and while 
holding it, gently pat the chest with both hands, if this 
does not cause discomfort. This exercise will send the 
air into the minute air cells of the lungs, and tend to 
strengthen and invigorate them. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE STOMACH 

(dyspepsia, gastritis) 

THE alimentary tract is a highly organized muscular 
tube, with expansions and convolutions. It 
begins at the mouth and ends at the anus, and 
is about seven times the length of the body. 
For convenience the tract is named by subdivisions, the 
mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine 
and large intestine. The intestines again are subdivided, 
the small into the duodenum, jejunum and ileum; the 
large into the cecum, colon, sigmoid flexure and rectum. 
The stomach, which is the largest part of the tract, has 
a capacity of about five pints. When empty it occupies 
but little space and lies in the back part of the thoracic 
cavity. When very full it turns on its axis toward the 
front. By so doing it displaces surrounding organs, 
even interfering at times, if greatly overloaded, with the 
heart and lungs. 

During mastication the salivary glands 
Mastication of in the mouth pour out saliva. It is 
the Food necessary to the welfare of the body 

that slow and thorough mastication 
and insalivation of the food occur before it is swallowed. 
Insalivation has a great deal more to do with 
digestion than is generally understood; in fact, 
the first step of digestion occurs in the mouth if 
the food is properly managed there before swal- 
lowing. Washing clown the food with any kind of 
liquid furnishes it with an artificial fluid instead of the 
useful saliva, and almost invariably causes improperly 
chewed food to enter the stomach, thus working a double 
injury and making digestion difficult. 



THE STOMACH 101 

When the food mixed with saliva 

Course of the reaches the stomach it stimulates a 

Food flow of gastric juice, which is poured 

from thousands of little glands in the 
walls of the stomach. The presence of the food causes 
contractions of the stomach which churn the food and 
mix it thoroughly with the gastric juice. Neither 
starches nor fats are acted upon by the gastric juice. 
Their turn comes when the chyme, this partially digested 
food, passes into the upper part of the small intestine, 
and is there subjected to the action of the pancreatic 
juices and the bile. When the chyme has progressed to 
that stage where it can be absorbed by the small intestine 
it is taken u;: by the blood and distributed to all parts of 
the body, and each organ, cell, fiber, and tissue takes 
from it what is needed for its own purposes. 

It is essential that the gastric juices be of the right 
quantity and quality to promote normal digestion. In 
hunger the glands in the walls of the stomach become 
filled with gastric juice, and when hunger is satisfied 
they are comparatively empty; hence food should be 
taken in the stomach when hunger demands it. 

The whole digestive tract is lined with 
Digestive Tract millions of minute absorbents, whose 
at Work function is to select from the digested 

food that which is serviceable. 
In health the alimentary tube is intensely active, 
being endowed with a peristaltic, or wave-like, motion 
that keeps the contents moving. If the tract is empty 
there is no movement. If from abnormal conditions 
this motion is partially suspended, we have constipation. 
(See chapter on The Bowels.) When activity of the 
alimentary tract is lost the activity of the absorbents 
within its walls is suspended, and nutriment is not car- 
ried into the body in sufficient quantities to sustain life 
properly. 

By a reverse of peristaltic movement (as in vomiting), 
the food may be sent from the body the way it came. 



102 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Nutriment is not that which is taken into the body, 
but that which is accepted and used by it. 



INDIGESTION 

Impairment of digestion is caused by eating food 
unsuitable in quantity or quality. Overeating and haste 
are responsible for most cases. There are forms of dys- 
pepsia in which a constant accumulation of gas occurs 
(flatulent dyspepsia). This keeps the stomach uncom- 
fortably distended, with pressure on the heart and lungs. 
Much distress results, such as palpitation of the heart, 
etc. When the stomach is overloaded or does not act 
properly its contents are often retained until putrid 
fermentation occurs. The food may feel like a heavy 
stone, or may cause the stomach to burn, and create an 
unquenchable thirst. With some there may be a constant 
hungry gnawing that food does not satisfy; others are 
made comfortable by constantly eating. Other symp- 
toms are water-brash, pain between the shoulders, loss 
of appetite, nausea, headaches, acid belching; in fact, 
there are so many symptoms of dyspepsia that it would 
be impossible to enumerate them all. A sufferer from 
indigestion is very likely aware of the fact. 

Thousands of persons annually starve to death amid 
plenty simply because the nervous system is so impover- 
ished that every function of the body suffers. This is a 
form of nervous dyspepsia. 

Continued pain in any part of the body 

Reflex Forms of will impair the digestion. Pain is 

Dyspepsia bound to weaken the system; hence 

we have dyspepsia or indigestion from 

lost muscular (peristaltic) action of the alimentary tract 

as a reflex disturbance from some other part of the body. 

For instance, a person may suffer intensely with piles or 

a uterine trouble, or with worry, grief, or business cares. 

In a short time the appetite becomes impaired. If food 



INDIGESTION 103 

is taken, the digestive apparatus remains inactive, 
and the patient suffers with dyspepsia. In such case? the 
cause of the dyspepsia must be treated. Removal of the 
cause is a cure of the disease. 

The work of the stomach and bowels 

How the Body is to prepare nutriment for all the uses 

Suffers of the body. If they are unable to do 

so, the entire body will suffer; the same 
result accrues if they fail to prepare the food in the right 
way. Every part of the body is weakened by the inade- 
quate nutrition, the efficiency of the organism as a work- 
ing mechanism is lowered, and the entire system loses 
much of its disease-resisting power. Any disease, there- 
fore, may invade the body. Unhappily, the fact is likely 
to be overlooked that indigestion was the cause of the 
trouble. If death is caused by consumption, Bright's 
disease or some other malady that appeared as the conse- 
quence of weakness growing out of impaired nutrition, 
that malady is charged with the trouble, and the valuable 
lesson that ought to have been learned is lost. 

A part of the remarkable success of the 
No Difficult Viavi system of treatment for dyspepsia 
Dieting has been due to the fact that it imposes 

no hardships on the sufferer — it does 
not reduce the strength while attacking the disease. Under 
ordinary treatment difficult dietaries are imposed; fre- 
quently an approach to starvation is required. Under 
the Viavi system of treatment the prime fact is kept in 
view that the body needs all the nutriment it can get in 
the natural way. without irritating the digestive tract. 
Hence the simple rule of diet under the treatment is this: 
Avoid overeating; eat moderately whatever wholesome 
and digestible food is desired; employ as great a variety 
of foods of all wholesome kinds as possible, the variety to 
be changed as the seasons and natural supply change, but 
each meal to be simple: ascertain by careful observation 
what foods jrive the most distress, and avoid them; eat 
very slowly, and at regular times. Food should be taken 



104 VIAVI HYGIENE 

about blood heat, and in small quantities and often. 
There is nothing difficult in such a dieting course. It 
imposes no strain on the mind; it does not reduce the 
quantity of food to an irrational limit; it does not make 
any radical change and produce disturbance on that 
account, and its value has been amply proved. The great 
idea of the Viavi system of treatment is not to deprive the 
stomach and bowels of the work that they were designed 
to do, but to enable them to perform it. 

All stimulants, sedatives and the like 

What Must Be are to be strictly avoided, as they lower 

Avoided the nervous forces and aggravate the 

evil. Constipation must be overcome 
and the bowels made to empty themselves every morning 
at a certain hour, both by inviting them to do so and by 
helping them if necessary. In short, all that the Viavi sys- 
tem of treatment requires in the way of personal conduct 
is common sense and prudence. If sufferers are not able 
to comply with those conditions they will only be wasting 
their time by adopting the treatment. The time con- 
sumed in the cure has depended on the character of the 
affliction, the time it had existed, the common sense and 
prudence of the sufferer, the fidelity and thoroughness 
with which the treatment was used and the recuperative 
power that one possessed. Recovery was slow. A 
quick cure of indigestion is not possible. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as 

Treatment for directed; but if the stomach at first 

Indigestion proves too sensitive to bear ten drops 

three times a day, begin with five or 

six drops and increase a drop a day for each time, or as 

rapidly as proves comfortable. Always take it in a little 

hot water. 

Viavi Cerate should be rubbed once a day over the 
stomach, abdomen and back. (See Viavi Cerate, final 
chapter.) 

Viavi Tablettes "should be used as directed if the 
liver or bowels are implicated. 



GASTRITIS 105 

Via vi Laxative should be taken as directed if there 
is constipation. 

Viavi Capsules are to be used by women in the vagina 
as directed if any uterine trouble is present. 

Viavi Suppositories are to be used in the rectum as 
directed if there is any rectal trouble. 

Baths best suited to the individual should be taken. 
(See Baths, final chapter.) 



GASTRITIS 

(catarrh of the stomach) 

Gastric catarrh, or inflammation of the lining* of the 
stomach, is similar to a catarrhal condition in any other 
mucous membrane. It may pass from the acute into the 
chronic form. 

The principal causes of gastritis are either too hot or 
too cold food or drinks, alcoholic drinks, iced water, 
iced milk, etc. Overeating and haste are, perhaps, the 
most prolific causes. It may be produced also by taking 
cold, as other catarrhal conditions are produced, or by 
mental strain, starvation, grief, and other causes. Suf- 
ferers from gastritis are generally despondent and irri- 
table; the circulation is poor, the hands and feet are 
probably cold; the stomach may be sore to the touch, and 
even the clothes are. uncomfortable; there is belching of 
gas, which brings up a flat-tasting or sour fluid; there is 
much mucus in the mouth and stomach; there is either 
loss of appetite or ravenous hunger; nausea may occur, 
and there may be distension from gas. In the beginning 
the bowels are generally constipated, but if they take on 
the catarrhal condition, as they may in time, the stools 
are fetid and mushy. 

Some persons suffering from chronic 

Harmful Means dyspepsia, gastritis, etc., are accus- 

Employed tomed to the use of powerful drugs for 

temporary relief, and then expect the 



106 VIAVI HYGIENE 

same results from a rational treatment; hence the dis- 
appointment experienced by those who "just try Viavi." 
We wish no one to commence the Viavi system of treat- 
ment for these troubles merely to "try" it. It has been 
proved many times. We know what it has done, but 
we cannot always tell the time it will take Nature to 
perfect a cure, nor just the symptoms that will arise 
after its use is begun, as all these things depend upon the 
sufferer's condition when the treatment was begun. 
Many of the conditions coming under the treatment are 
complicated, obscure and of many years' standing. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as 

Treatment for directed; the same discretion in the 
Gastritis amount taken at a time is to be ob- 

served as is indicated in the treatment 
for indigestion; or Viavi capsules, instead of the liquid, 
may be taken into the stomach, if they can be better 
borne and give better results. 

Viavi Royal should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Tablettes are to be taken if there is tenderness 
or soreness over the bowels or liver. 

Viavi Laxative is to be taken if the bowels are in- 
active, and until a more normal movement is established. 

Viavi Capsules are to be used by women in the vagina 
if there is any uterine trouble. 

Viavi Suppositories are to be used in the rectum if 
there are piles or other rectal trouble. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used daily over the spine, 
stomach, abdomen and liver. (See directions under 
Viavi Cerate, final chapter.) 

Cold Compress is to be used on the abdomen and over 
the liver twice a week. (See Cold Compress on Abdomen 
and Cold Compress on Liver, final chapter.) 

Baths. See Baths, final chapter. 

In order to understand the difference between the 
conditions requiring the tablettes and those requiring 
the liquid, see Viavi Tablettes and Viavi Liquid, final 
chapter. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE BOWELS 

(constipation, diarrhea, catarrh of the bowels) 

Constipation is a retention and a hardness of the feces 
(excrement). It may be caused by inactivity of the 
intestines, by a diminution of bile or other secretions, or 
by such mechanical obstruction in women as tumors, 
displacements of the uterus, etc. Health depends very 
largely upon the regularity of the bowels. A normal 
movement of the bowels should occur daily. Inattention 
to the calls of Nature 'will be followed sooner or later by 
bad results. When the nerves of the intestinal tract. no- 
tify the brain that the intestines are loaded with waste, 
it is essential to health that Nature's orders be obeyed 
immediately. When the call is neglected the desire 
passes away, and the poisonous substance is retained, and 
impairs the sensibility of the tract. The absorbents take 
up the fluid parts of the waste, poisoning the blood and 
the entire body, including the brain. This absorption 
renders the feces hard and troublesome to expel, causing 
them to injure the rectum and anus. 

Nothing renders one so uncomfortable 

Causes and Evils as ineffectual attempts to evacuate the 

of Constipation bowels. Normal evacuations occur 

with little effort. When digestion is 

normal, the excrement forms a soft, light-brown, slippery, 

rope-shaped mass, the passage of which causes a pleasant 

reaction of the nervous system, followed by a feeling of 

relief. 

The nervous condition of the intestinal tract has a 
great deal to do with constipation. The bile has the 
power of exciting the peristaltic movement of the bowels, 
and in this way aids the onward movement of the food 
c^d waste. Bile is Nature's purgative, but if the nerves 



108 VIAVI HYGIENE 

are not in a. condition to be stimulated by it, the bowel 
remains sluggish; hence constipation. 

Overloaded bowels cause pain and sickness. The 
distention of the colon impedes the circulation of the blood 
in other organs, and thus causes congestion of the portal 
system, which concerns the liver. This results in diseases 
of the liver, rectal trouble, and possibly abdominal 
dropsy. In women it causes inflammation of the womb 
and ovaries, displacements, leucorrhea and menstrual 
troubles. The unnatural presence of fecal matter dead- 
ens the nervous sensibility of the bowels so much that 
powerful purgatives are required to excite them to action. 
Of course, their use gives only temporary relief, because 
they are unnatural aids. They must be used repeatedly 
and the dose increased. Derangement of the stomach 
ensues in time. 

When constipation depends upon an 

Treatment for inactive liver, Viavi tablettes, cerate 

Constipation and laxative are advised. (See chapter 

on The Liver.) When it depends upon 

a displacement of the womb, the Viavi capsules, cerate 

and laxative are to be used to right the displacement and 

so relieve the mechanical obstruction. (See chapter on 

Displacements of the Womb, with treatment.) 

When the stomach acts badly, and in consequence the 
whole alimentary tract becomes sluggish, Viavi tablettes, 
cerate and laxative are advised, in order to tone up the 
whole tract. 

Viavi Cerate should be used over the spine, stomach 
and abdomen. (See Kneading of Abdomen for Constipa- 
tion, in final chapter.) 

Viavi Tablettes are to be used as directed. 

Viavi Laxative is to be used as directed. Its purpose 
is gradually and mildly to assist Nature in restoring lost 
reactive power in this muscular tube, preventing the fecal 
matter from becoming hard and heavy, decomposing, 
producing gas, and bringing about a long train of ills. 

Massage of the abdomen with Viavi cerate brings 



THE BOWELS 109 

happy results. (See Pendent Abdominal Massage, final 
chapter.) This helps to stimulate the activity of the 
tract, and this activity becomes permanent. It must 
be remembered that Nature must be assisted in every way 
possible to do her work. 

Exemas. Copious and too frequent flushings of the 
bowel are irritating and weakening. They are frequently 
necessary in stubborn constipation at first, and give 
temporary relief. (See directions for high enemas in last 
chapter.) The water should be retained from fifteen to 
thirty minutes, and one should remain quiet for that 
length of time, as exercise while the bowels are so loaded 
will cause the water to be expelled without exciting the 
peristaltic movement, thus failing to produce the result 
most desired. Once a week is sufficiently often to flush 
the bowels, unless the constipation is exceedingly stub- 
born. 

Diet should be varied, and fruits should be abundantly 
eaten. Each sufferer will find some fruit or vegetable, 
cooked or raw, which has the peculiar effect of causing 
a movement of the bowels. That fruit or vegetable 
should be sought, and when found, used intelligently 
to assist Nature. 

Drink sparingly at meals, but freely of water between 
meals, especially upon arising and before retiring. Drink 
not less than a tumblerful, preferably rain water, filtered; 
if unobtainable, use distilled water. We advise also deep 
abdominal breathing, by which the abdominal muscles 
and intestines are exercised. 

Defecation. The natural position of squatting, in 
which the abdomen rests on the thighs, will help to cure 
constipation. The usual toilets are responsible for much 
of this trouble, but in using them the natural posture 
may be approximated by leaning forward. 

A speedy cure for constipation does not exist. Before 
regular, normal movements of the bowels can be obtained, 
the whole tract must be rendered naturally active, not 
temporarily overstimulated. The Yiavi system of treat- 
ment has established a long record of satisfactory results 
in constipation. 



110 VI AVI HYGIENE 

DIARRHEA 

. Diarrhea is the opposite of constipation, as it is caused 
by an overstimulation of functional activity. It is char- 
acterized by frequent liquid evacuations, which may be 
accompanied with severe pain or none at all. The 
character and quantity of the stool vary. The disease 
may be either acute or chronic. It is the bane of infancy 
and childhood, claiming thousands of little victims 
annually. 

Via vi Liquid should be taken into 
Treatment for the stomach as directed. 
* Diarrhea Via vi Capsule. One should be swal- 

lowed at night just before retiring, 
oftener daily if required. 

Via vi Cerate should be used over the spine and 

abdomen daily. ' (See directions in closing chapter.) 

Diet. Food that has a tendency to loosen the bowels 

should be abstained from, and food should be taken in 

small quantities and frequently. 

Rest is absolutely necessary — as much as possible. 
Compresses. A hot and a cold compress on the 
abdomen is advised. (See Hot Compress and Cold Com- 
press, final chapter.) 



CATARRH OF THE BOWELS 

The symptoms of intestinal catarrh vary according 
to the part of the tract involved and the degree of the 
inflammation, When the inflammation is confined to the 
upper part of the tract, diarrhea is seldom present; but 
when the lower part is involved the stools are slimy and 
often bloody, and are usually preceded by sharp, cutting 
pains. After stool the pain subsides. 

When acute intestinal catarrh develops into the 
chronic form, the sufferer thinks and speaks much of his 
sufferings. Such persons become emaciated, and the 



CATARRH OF THE BOWELS 111 

abdomen sinks inward. The bowels will be alternately 
constipated and loose. The hard stools are covered with 
a phlegm-like substance; the soft stools are slimy and 
jelly-like. A substance may pass that resembles the lining 
of the bowels. Quantities of gas pass from the bowels, 
giving relief. 

The forms of Viavi to be used for 

Treatment for . intestinal catarrh are the liquid and 
Catarrh cerate. When acute diarrhea is 

present, five drops of the liquid may 
be taken in hot water every three hours until relieved, 
and then taken at longer intervals. For children under 
five years of age, ten drops of the liquid should be placed 
in half a glass of water and a teaspoonful given every hour. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used daily in a very thorough 
way over the regions of both abdomen and stomach. 
The cerate is to be used also over the region of the spine 
daily in a very thorough way. (See Application of Cerate 
in closing chapter.) 

Viavi Tablettes may be used instead of the Viavi 
liquid for gastritis and intestinal catarrh, especially when 
the liver is implicated. They should be thoroughly 
masticated before swallowing. They are much more 
easily carried on the person, being put up in dry form 
and in small, neat packages; but where the sufferer has 
evidence that the kidneys are involved and the affection 
is located permanently in one place, the Viavi liquid is 
advised. 

Compress. The hot or the cold compress over the 
stomach and abdomen, as indicated in each individual 
case, should be used twice a week. (See Hot Compress and 
Cold Compress, final chapter.) 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE RECTUM 

(PILES, ABSCESS, FISTULA, ETC.) 

THE rectum is the termination of the alimentary 
tract, and is six to eight inches in length. The 
part of the abdomen surrounding the navel is 
occupied chiefly by the small intestines, which 
enter the large intestine (colon) in the region of the right 
groin. The colon here turns upward, forming the ascend- 
ing colon; then it passes across the body just above the 
navel, forming the transverse colon; it then turns down- 
ward to the left groin, forming the descending colon. In 
the left groin it makes an S-like turn (the sigmoid flexure) , 
going toward the center of the body and fitting itself into 
the curve of the sacrum, thus forming the rectum, which 
descends behind the bladder (and in women the womb 
and vagina also) and terminates in a backward turn at 
the anus. This brings the sigmoid flexure immediately 
behind the left ovary of women. The upper part of the 
rectum is almost completely surrounded by peritoneum, 
the middle part only about its upper front surface; the 
lower part receives no peritoneal covering. The rectum 
terminates in two sphincters, the internal and the ex- 
ternal, composed of small rings of muscle, which relax 
and contract as do other sphincters. 

The blood vessels of the rectum are 

Blood Supply of abundant, and are remarkable for an 

the Rectum absence of Valves in the veins. All of 

these terminate in the network of 

small veins, the hemorrhoidal plexus, which surrounds 

the lower end of the rectum. 

The large veins emptying into the liver (the portal 



THE RECTUM 113 

system) and the general venous system communicate 
freely with the hemorrhoidal veins by means of branches 
that compose this plexus. This explains how a diseased 
liver, which impedes the portal and abdominal circulation, 
also seriously interferes with the circulation in the veins 
of the rectum. The effect is the same as tying a cord 
about the arm above the elbow; it interferes with the 
circulation in the finger ends. The damage thus done 
the blood vessels of the rectum is very much greater by 
reason of the absence of valves in the hemorrhoidal veins 
and their large capacity, as the tissues are elastic in the 
rectum, permitting of great expansion in the veins. 

The rectum, on account of its large and 
Many Causes peculiar blood supply, is likely, from 
of Piles impeded circulation within any part of 

the abdominal and pelvic cavities, to 
become the seat of painful diseases, the most common of 
which are hemorrhoids, or piles. These are caused by an 
abnormal collection of venous blood in the rectal veins. 
The chief causes of piles are the position of the hemor- 
rhoidal veins as the terminals of the abdominal vessels, and 
the absence of valves to sustain the return flow of blood 
in its upward course. Hemorrhoids most frequently 
appear at the bulb-like terminals of these veins. 

Any cause that favors an undue accumulation of blood 
in these parts predisposes to piles. In men they are 
caused by stagnation in the liver, the habitual use of 
cathartics, a long-continued sitting or standing position, 
lifting, alcoholic stimulants, eating highly seasoned food, 
horseback riding, and constipation. In women they are 
caused, as a rule, from an enlarged and misplaced uterus, 
mechanical pressure from tumors in the abdomen, preg- 
nancy, the wearing of tight corsets and bands about the 
waist (which impede the circulation and crowd the viscera 
downward), heavy skirts, constipation, the habitual use 
of cathartics, diarrhea, sitting on heated cushions or cold 
stones, indolent, luxurious habits of living, and an in- 
herited tendency. 



114 VI AVI HYGIENE 

Piles are divided usually into the ex- 
Different Kinds ternal, or blind, and the internal, or 
of Piles bleeding. External piles are again 

divided into venous and cutaneous. 
The venous piles are caused by a distention of the external 
hemorrhoidal veins terminating about the anus. They 
appear about the anus as soft, bluish, round tumors. 
Such piles will not cause much suffering unless inflamed, 
when they* become exquisitely sensitive and often sup- 
purate, terminating in fissures and other painful condi- 
tions. Such piles rarely bleed. 

In cutaneous piles the skin about the dilated vessels 
becomes inflamed and sensitive. Small tumors are thus 
formed, which often hang down like tags. 

By reason of the more active lives that men lead, their 
sufferings from piles are great. Whether sitting or walk- 
ing in the pursuit of his affairs, a man constantly irritates 
the affection. This serves not only as an aggravation of 
his condition, but also as a source of constant annoyance 
and pain. He can take none of the vigorous pleasures of 
which men are naturally fond and which are valuable to 
their health, without receiving more pain than pleasure, 
more injury than benefit. Walking, riding, driving, 
traveling cause torture and sap the strength where they 
should bring delight and add to the strength. A man 
finds no rest from this affliction. Even in bed the tor- 
ture pursues him. 

This form of piles is much more serious 

Internal Piles than the* external. They are situated 

Described above' the sphincter, or anus. The 

sufferer's attention is first attracted 
by losing blood at stool. This symptom may be present 
long before pain is experienced. Later the bleeding may 
occur at any time and amount to hemorrhages, which 
debilitate. As the disease progresses, pain is experienced 
at stool; there is a heavy pressure, as from a load in the 
lower /part of the abdomen, and the rectum never feels 
completely emptied. There are then an indescribable 
burning and rawness within the rectum, which render 



THE RECTUM ■ 115 

one unfit for duties of any kind. Such sufferers become 
irritable and nervous. They have backache, headache 
and numerous other painful symptoms, until the whole 
system in time gives way. The piles become large and 
protrude, dragging with them the bowel, thus causing 
prolapsus. These pile tumors may remain protruding 
so long that they become strangulated, their great size 
preventing their return within the anus. The pain is 
extreme. Urinary disturbances frequently result from 
the irritation. 

Although given many names, piles are simply tumors, 
composed of varicose or dilated veins of the lower end of 
the rectum, surrounded by infiltrated tissue. Aside from 
the serious inconvenience and pain, there is a tendency 
to fistula anfl. cancer. It is important, therefore, that the 
disease should be checked. 

The Viavi system of treatment for 
The Treatment piles requires first the removal of the 
for Piles cause, whatever it may be, as liver 

trouble, displacements, luxurious hab- 
its of living, etc. We particularly call attention to the 
chapter on the liver, when rectal troubles are associated 
with disease of that organ. The treatment therein given 
must be followed closely in conjunction with that given 
for rectum. 

Viavi Suppositories. One or two Viavi rectal 
suppositories are to be used in the rectum daily, according 
to the severity of the case. 

Viavi Cerate. This is to be rubbed thoroughly over 
the spine, liver and abdomen. (See Cerate on Spine, 
Cerate on Liver, Cerate on Abdomen; see Pendent Ab- 
dominal Massage, Kneading Abdomen, final chapter.) 
It is also to be used externally about the anus twice daily, 
morning and evenimr. When possible, the anus should 
be bathed with cold water after each stool and again 
thoroughly anointed with the cerate. (See Massage of 
the Perineum, final chapter.) 

\ i avi Liquid should be taken according to directions. 



116 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Via vi Laxative should be used to regulate the bowels 
and prevent the feces from becoming so hard that they 
will injure the tissues when passing. 

Compresses. When it is not convenient to take the 
Cold Compress on Liver, as advised in the final chapter, 
a long towel, wrung from cold water, should be wrapped 
about the body on retiring at night; over it a strip of 
flannel should be placed to keep the body warm. This 
should be kept on till morning. 

Sitz Baths. See closing chapter. 

Diet. The sufferer should avoid stimulating drinks 
and the eating of rich or constipating food. A copious 
draught of cold (not iced) water, at least a usual drinking 
glass, should be drunk the first thing in the morning 
and the last thing at night. 

The sufferer should lie on the side. 

For Prolapsed The protruding rectum should be well 
Rectum oiled with the dissolved Viavi rectal 

suppository (for this purpose about 
three of the suppositories may be dissolved in a table- 
spoonful of vaseline) , and the rectum gently pressed back 
with a soft towel. If this is not successful, the finger 
may be covered with lint, which should then be well 
anointed with the dissolved suppository and introduced 
in the bowel, gently pressing up the bowel. The finger is 
then withdrawn and the lint left behind. 

Viavi LicjuiD should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used regularly once a 
day. 

Viavi Cerate should be rubbed over the regions of the 
spine, liver and abdomen. (See Cerate on Spine and Cer- 
ate on Abdomen, Kneading the Abdomen, also Pendent 
Abdominal Massage, closing chapter.) 

Viavi Royal should be used as directed, to build up 
the general system. (See Viavi Royal, final chapter.) 

Baths. See same chapter. 



THE RECTUM 117 

Rectal abscesses are found around and 
Abscesses of the in the rectum. They may be acute or 
Rectum chronic, and are, as a rule, accompanied 

with severe suffering and general de- 
bility. They frequently follow a serious illness. Just 
before they break and discharge, the pain becomes almost 
unendurable, and is of a burning, throbbing character. 
An abscess of any kind is always preceded by inflamma- 
tion, and it, in turn, is followed by the formation of pus. 
As inflammation depends upon impeded circulation, if 
the circulation is re-established the difficulty is overcome. 
The treatment is the same as that given for prolapsus 
of the rectum. 

A fistula is a tube-like opening going 

Fistula of the up or down the side of the rectum in 

Rectum the surrounding tissues, with one or 

several openings. If the fistula has an 
opening in the mucous membrane of the rectum, and one 
also in the skin of the buttocks or near the anus, it is 
called a complete fistula; if but an opening in the skin, an 
incomplete external fistula; and if but one opening in 
the mucous membrane of the rectum, an incomplete 
internal fistula. Fistulas frequently follow rectal and 
anal abscesses, and injury to the parts, either internal or 
external. Where a fistula followed slight external 
injury or an anal abscess, excellent results have been ob- 
tained from the use of the Viavi system of treatment. 
Other forms of fistula are very difficult to cure, as the 
tissues about the rectal tract and the whole floor of the 
pelvis are, as a rule, under such conditions, inactive and 
friable. 

„ 4 , Viavi Suppositories should be used 

Treatment for , , ,. * • , 

„. . , regularly once or more times daily, as 

Fistula r T 

directed. 

Viavi Cerate should be rubbed daily over the ab- 
domen and spine, and the perineum (the space between 
the anus and the genitals) should be massaged daily with 



118 VI A VI HYGIENE 

the cerate. (See Cerate on Spine, Cerate on Abdomen , 
and Massage of the Perineum, final chapter.) 

Viavi Liquid should be taken internally as directed. 

Viavi Laxative should be taken as directed. 

Baths. See Baths, final chapter. 

The general health should receive the best care. 

Ulceration of the rectum, being always 

Ulceration of accompanied with discharges of bloody 

Rectum mucus, diarrhea and pain, is frequently 

diagnosed wrongly as dysentery. Ul- 
ceration of the rectum is usually not nearly so painful 
as ulceration of the anus, although much more serious. 
There is an almost constant desire to evacuate the bowels, 
and the discharge consists of a little blood-tinged mucus. 
Extensive ulceration of the rectum may cause no pain 
whatever, or extreme suffering may follow each evacua- 
tion. Ulceration resulting from impeded venous circula- 
tion and accompanying piles or rectal tumors, or resulting 
from displacements, liver troubles, etc., has been success- 
fully overcome by means of the Viavi system of treat- 
ment, but where the ulceration is of a syphilitic, tuber- 
cular or cancerous origin, we do not give encouraging 
hopes, though the treatment has done much to make 
such sufferers comfortable, and we do not know of a 
treatment that has brought better results. 

The treatment is the same as that for abscesses of the 
rectum. The rectum should be kept well cleansed with 
small rectal enemas morning and night, the suppository 
being used after each enema. Careful attention should be 
given to the diet and general health. 

Prolapsus ani is a protrusion through 
Other Troubles the anus of the lining of the rectum; 
of Rectum prolapsus recti is a protrusion of the 
whole thickness of the rectum. This 
trouble is more frequent in children than in adults, but 
in either it shows a slight resisting power and great mus- 
cular relaxation. The whole organism is implicated. 
Prolapsus is aggravated by straining at stool, by consti- 



THE RECTUM 119 

pation, or by irritation from worms, and often accom- 
panies piles. 

Sphincterismus, or spasm of the sphincter, is attended 
with pain. It is nearly always associated with ulceration 
or fissure of the rectum, or inflammation of surrounding 
organs. 

Pruritus, or painful itching, of the anus is due to many 
causes, as worms, small external piles, eczema of the 
parts, nervousness, and excoriating discharges. It is 
sometimes purely nervous, no inflammation existing. 
The skin about the anus under these circumstances has a 
dead, white, parchment-like look. These are the most 
difficult to treat. Xervous persons who give way to 
scratching often produce an eczema, or excoriate the 
whole anus and its neighborhood. (See Treatment for 
Fissure.) 

This is a most painful affection, and is 

Fissure, or confined to the anus. It is caused by 

Ulcer the passage of large, hard stools, which 

excoriate or crack the mucous mem- 
brane at the anus. The minute nerve filaments so ex- 
posed are constantly irritated. In time an ulcer forms, 
which will not heal spontaneously. Fissures cause 
severe spasmodic pains or contractions of the sphincter. 
The pains at stool are so severe that the sufferer postpones 
emptying the bowels as long as possible, with detrimental 
results. The severity of the pain is entirely out of pro- 
portion to the extent of the region involved, which is 
rarely larger than the nail of the little finger. The ulcer 
can be seen only by separating the folds about the anus. 

Via vi Laxative should be used to keep the bowels 
open: the feces should not be permitted to become large 
and hard. After stool the parts should be well washed 
with pure soap and water. 

Via vi Suppository should be used every night before 
retiring. 

Viavi Cerate. The external excoriated parts should 
be well laved with Viavi cerate several times a day, 



120 VIA VI HYGIENE 

especially after each stool. (See Pendent Abdominal 
Massage, and Massage of the Perineum, final chapter.) 

Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. (See closing 
chapter.) 

Ulceration often terminates in stricture 

Stricture of of the rectum, but such a deplorable 
Rectum condition has often been prevented 

where the Viavi system of treatment 
was employed in time. Even after the formation of 
stricture the hardened tissues have become softened and 
absorbed and the parts restored to a more normal con- 
dition. We have reference to simple stricture resulting 
from ulceration or some form of chronic inflammation. 

A stricture reduces the calibre of the rectum, thus hold- 
ing the fecal matter. This causes the bowel at the part 
just above the stricture to become dilated and often ul- 
cerated. When the evacuations force themselves through 
the narrow space, they are flattened or like a pencil. 
Stools thus shaped may be caused, however, by a displace- 
ment of the womb, or enlargement of the prostate gland, 
or tumors or an irritable sphincter. In stricture the rec- 
tum always feels as if loaded with fecal waste. The bowels 
are, however, not always constipated; constipation and 
diarrhea alternate. Looseness of the bowels compels the 
sufferer to go to stool frequently, to pass each time only a 
little gas and mucus with a few hard lumps of fecal matter. 

The treatment for stricture is the same as that given 
for ulceration of the rectum, and requires a long time. 
This we wish all to understand when placing themselves 
under the Viavi system of treatment. Stricture never 
exists unless there have been both extensive and chronic 
rectal troubles; hence there is much to do; both of elimi- 
nation and repair; these require time and patience, but 
the process is rational and natural. 

Rectal cancer seldom develops before 

Cancer of the the fortieth year, and is .usually in- 

Rectum curable; the disease of the rectum that 

is responsible has been present for a 

long time. The symptoms are much the sam^ *a those in 



THE RECTUM 121 

ulceration and stricture of the rectum. In the last stages 
of rectal cancer the sufferer experiences very marked 
debility. The discharges are profuse and very offensive. 
The cancer in time invades surrounding tissues and organs. 
The stricture caused by it frequently leads to perforation, 
producing fistula, which may open into the tissues, the 
bladder, the vagina or the buttocks, through which the 
fecal matter escapes. 

No part of the body has yielded to the Viavi system 
of treatment more satisfactorily than the rectum. At the 
first indication of a rectal disease, the Viavi system of 
treatment for it should be promptly and thoroughly 
employed, in order to avoid a cancerous development. 
We should not expect to cure rectal cancer, but by reduc- 
ing the inflammation in surrounding parts and organs the 
treatment has made the sufferer much more comfortable 
and prolonged life. The wiser plan is to prevent cancer by 
prompt treatment of any rectal disease when it is dis- 
covered. 

The treatment for cancer of the rectum is the same as 
that given for piles. 

Rectal tumors are much the same as 
Tumors of the tumors elsewhere. They are given 
Rectum various names, but the causes are much 

the same, and they yield to early ra- 
tional treatment before becoming malignant (cancerous). 
While the cause is not definitely known, it is thought 
they are the result of impeded circulation, and as the aim 
of the Viavi system of treatment is to assist Nature in 
establishing healthy circulation, conditions tending both 
to the prevention and removal of tumors may be expected 
from its faithful use. 

The treatment for tumors of the rectum is the same 
as that given for piles. 

It is not unusual for one seemingly 
Symptoms of to grow worse for a time after coming 
Improvement under the treatment. This is not an 

unfavorable symptom, but one of the 
most favorable. It shows that the circulation is being 



122 VIA VI HYGIENE 

established in the affected part and that a beneficial 
reaction is taking place. 

If a whole suppository produces too great a reaction 
and the sufferer is caused too much inconvenience (which 
of course will be only temporary), half a suppository may 
be used at a time. (The suppository can be cut in two 
with a sharp knife.) Even if the parts become exquisitely 
sensitive, this indicates that the circulation is becoming 
established. 

One who had suffered for many years from severe 
and painful rectal troubles became seemingly much worse 
after adopting the treatment. Several boils appeared 
about the anus and discharged freely. This apparently 
showed that the tissues purged themselves, so to speak, 
of impurities. Although distressing, this was a necessary 
part of the recovery, which, after the eliminating process 
had ceased, was rapid and permanent. 

In diseases of the rectum, as elsewhere , 

Surgery of the it is much easier to cut than to cure, 

Rectum and much of this cutting is unnecessary. 

Surgery of the rectum often fails to 
assist Nature, and in many cases prevents her helping 
herself. Diseases of the rectum do not become established 
quickly; they therefore yield gradually and slowly to 
early and prompt treatment. These conditions should 
receive remedial attention as soon as they make them- 
selves known. It is the sufferer's duty to reach this con- 
dition before operative measures are the ones that promise 
results. The peculiar mechanism and important functions 
of the rectum show that we are not dealing with a simple 
mechanical tube, but with a very highly organized and 
specialized structure, pieces of which cannot be dissected 
out nor cauterized, nor the terminals of the abdominal 
arteries and veins destroyed or treated surgically other- 
wise, without often running the risk of great injury, or, 
as has been shown by more advanced surgeons, of its 
being followed by cancer. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE LIVER 

(and some of its diseases) 

THE liver is the largest gland in the body. It is 
situated in the right side, and is composed of 
small lobules about one-twenty-fifth of an inch 
in diameter. The organ is covered externally by 
the peritoneum, which forms most of the suspensory liga- 
ments that hold the liver in place. The liver has five 
lobes, the right being the largest. It has also five vessels, 
namely, the hepatic artery and vein, the portal vein, the 
hepatic duct and the lymphatics. The gall bladder, a 
sac for the bile, is in its lower surface. 

The liver receives two kinds of blood- 
How Bile Is It is nourished from its arterial supply. 
Secreted The arrangement of the blood vessels 

within the liver differs largely from 
that of the blood vessels in any other part of the body. 
Bile is produced in the liver from the blood distributed 
in its substance by the portal vein and the hepatic artery. 
The blood from the capillaries in the mucous membrane 
of the alimentary tract and the spleen is not returned 
directly to the heart by the veins, but is collected in the 
portal vein and carried to the liver, where it is distributed 
in a second set of capillaries. In this manner the liver 
acts as a filter, by which certain constituents, including 
bile, are separated from the blood. After this the blood 
is collected in the hepatic vein and carried by the vena 
cava directly to the heart. The bile is conveyed into the 
gall bladder, whence it gradually passes into the cystic 
duct, and is carried into the digestive tract, which de- 
mands its use. 

If the gall is held within the gall bladder indefinitely, 



124 VIAVI HYGIENE 

it forms gall stones, the passing of which through the 
small duct causes intense agony. 

The liver is one of the most abused of 
How the Liver the organs, being sensitive to inappro- 
Suffers priate food and owing much of its dis- 

ease to that source and to alcoholic 
drinks. Like other organs, it also suffers indirectly from 
disease elsewhere, and from nervous weakness, poor cir- 
culation and impaired nutrition. When it becomes 
inactive through disordered circulation it is assailed with 
drastic purgatives under the ordinary method, and thus 
gradually loses more and more of its tone, leading to 
chronic constipation. From this depraved condition 
malignant disease may arise. The Viavi system of treat- 
ment for the liver has proved satisfactory, as might have 
been expected of a treatment whose sole aim is to furnish 
Nature with the needed assistance to establish natural 
conditions. 

Any condition producing biliousness by 

Portal Congestion blocking the portal circulation and in- 

and Biliousness during pelvic stagnation, can also 

cause uterine congestion or profuse 
menstruation. It would be as reasonable to treat the 
first condition surgically as the second. We again 
emphasize the truth that the body is a united whole, 
not a collection of independent parts, and that a treat- 
ment, to be successful, must be systemic, calling into 
assistance every available absorbent, internal, external 
and local. 

Liver diseases that have come within the range of the 
Viavi system of treatment are those of a non-malignant 
character, arising from circulatory complications, as 
most of them do. These include abscesses, congestion, 
inflammation, jaundice, etc. 

Two purposes are to be kept in view, — 

Treatment for one to abstain from eating or drinking 

the Liver anything that experience has shown to 

have an irritating effect on the liver, 

and the other is to establish a healthy circulation in the 



THE LIVER 125 

abdomen and the liver. Everything containing alcohol 
should be rigidly excluded. The diet should be moderate, 
bland, and perfectly wholesome. Tea and coffee, if used 
at all, should be drunk with extreme moderation, and 
very weak. Regular, mild exercise is essential, and the 
skin should be kept active and the body comfortable. 

Via vi Tablettes should be used as directed/ 

Via vi Cerate should be applied daily over the regions 
of the liver, abdomen and spine. (See Cerate on Liver, 
final chapter.) 

Via vi Capsules should be used by women who, in 
addition, suffer from uterine troubles. 

Compresses, hot and cold, should be used over the 
liver alternately, one of each, twice a week. (See Wet 
Towel Compress on Liver, and Hot Compress and Cold 
Compress on Liver, final chapter.) 

Baths. See same chapter. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE KIDNEYS 

(and some' of their diseases) 

THE kidneys are two bean-shaped organs situated in 
the back part of the abdominal cavity, their upper 
two-thirds lying above the waist line and the 
lower one-third below, one on either side of the 
spine. They vary in weight from four to six ounces each. 
From the center of the concave or spinal side of each kid- 
ney a tube, the ureter, commences, and it terminates in 
the bladder. These tubes vary in length from sixteen to 
eighteen inches, and carry the urine from the kidneys to 
the bladder. 

The kidneys are important excretory organs, their 
function being to secrete urine and to remove with it 
certain waste. 

The composition and quality of the urine vary. Both 
are influenced largely by the character of the food and the 
temperature of the atmosphere. A healthy person secretes, 
on an average, fifty ounces of urine in twenty-four hours. 

These organs are so often disturbed 

Diseases of reflexly from disease in other parts of 

Kidneys the body that it is seldom we meet 

with uncomplicated disease affecting 
them. Encouraging results have been obtained from the 
proper forms used in this system of treatment in diseases 
of the kidneys, but as most of these cases have been com- 
plicated with diseases of the alimentary and uterine 
tracts, we make no positive statements as to the action of 
the treatment upon the kidneys where the trouble is not 
reflex from diseased conditions elsewhere which come 
directly within the range of the Viavi system of treat- 
ment. It is reasonable to assume that inflammation of 
the kidneys comes within the Viavi range the same as 
inflammatory processes elsewhere. 



THE KIDNEYS 127 

Those who have had their diseases diagnosed as dia- 
betes, albuminuria, etc., are invited to correspond with 
the Hygienic Department of the nearest Viavi office. An 
analysis of the urine should be sent. If that cannot be 
procured and the distance is not too great, a sample of 
the urine should be forwarded, so that it may be analyzed, 
an advance charge of ten dollars in the United States and 
of two pounds in the United Kingdom being made for the 
analysis. All of the urine passed in twenty-four hours 
should be saved in one vessel, then stirred well, and about 
sixteen ounces forwarded by express, expenses prepaid. 
The sender should place name and address inside the 
package, so that we may know from whom it came. An 
analysis of the urine will greatly assist in advising as 
to the treatment. 

The same general care should be exer- 
Treatment for cised as has been indicated in the 
Kidneys treatment of diseases of the liver. In 

these diseases, as all others, great per- 
sonal care on the score of diet, exercise, rest, sleep, etc., 
are essential. 

Following is the usual treatment for uncomplicated 
non-malignant diseases of the kidneys: 

Via vi Liquid, taken as directed. 

Viavi Cerate should be used daily over the region of 
the whole back, from the nape of the neck to the end, and 
over the kidneys especially. (See Cerate on Spine, Kid- 
neys, etc., final chapter.) 

Viavi Capsules should be used if there are uterine 
complications. (See final chapter.) 

Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if 
the kidney trouble is complicated with any rectal trouble. 

Viavi Royal should be used as directed if there is 
need of a tonic. 

Viavi Laxative should be used if the kidney con- 
dition is complicated with constipation. 

Cold Compress over Kidneys. See final chapter. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



BLADDER AND URETHRA 

(and some of their diseases) 

THE bladder is a strong bag with muscular walls. 
In women it is situated in front of the womb, 
and when fully distended rises a little above the 
pubic bone. It is lined with mucous membrane 
which is continuous with that of the urethra to its orifice, 
and there, in women, it unites with the mucous membrane 
covering the external genitals. 

The bladder has four coats: The mucous membrane 
lining, the sub-mucous, next to it, then the muscular 
coat, and last the serous coat, which is the outer covering. 
The bladder receives the urine from the kidneys 
through the ureters, a small duct from each of the kidneys. 
These are constantly sending urine in small quantities to 
the bladder, which, when it becomes full, is emptied 
through the urethra. 



CYSTITIS 

Cystitis (inflammation of the bladder) is of the same 
nature as inflammation of other mucous membrane lining 
cavities and organs in other parts of the body. Inflam- 
mation of the bladder is named according to the extent 
and degree of the inflammatory process, but these names 
simply indicate stages or location in one general inflam- 
matory process. 

The acute and subacute will, if permitted to continue, 
develop into the chronic form, or catarrh of the bladder. 



BLADDER AND URETHRA 129 

When chronic cystitis has progressed 
Kinds and Causes until ulceration exists and the sub- 
of Cystitis mucous and muscular coats are in- 
volved, it is known as interstitial 
cystitis. If the inflammatory process extends to the 
serous coat it is known as pericystitis, which means that 
the part of the peritoneum forming the partial outer 
covering is involved. In membranous cystitis large 
fragments, or even casts, of the interior of the bladder, 
are passed. If cystitis is permitted to continue, the 
inflammatory process may in time extend up the ureters 
to the kidneys, involving these organs. 

The causes of inflammation of the bladder are many. 
One in women is overdistension of the organ from a false 
delicacy about emptying the bladder at proper intervals 
when traveling, shopping or in public places; displace- 
ment of the womb; an abnormal condition of the urine; 
injury at childbirth; the use of the catheter; infection; 
colds; calculse (stone); extension of inflammation from 
other organs, as the womb, tubes, vagina, peritoneum; 
metritis, urethritis, etc. 

In men, one of the commonest causes is alcoholic 
drinks. Alcohol, used habitually and in sufficient 
quantities, has a pernicious effect on all the genito- 
urinary organs in both sexes. 

In acute inflammation of the bladder 
Symptoms of the lining is swollen and relaxed. The 
Cystitis symptom is frequent and painful urina- 

tion. The relief afforded by passing a 
few drops of urine is transient; in bad cases, the desire 
is almost constant. Straining becomes extremely severe 
and the sufferer quivers from the effort; the bowels may 
move involuntarily at the same time. The burning sen- 
sation also frequently becomes intense. The pain extends 
to the perineum, into the loins and down the thighs. If 
the condition has progressed into the chronic state, the 
skin is generally sallow. There is sweating of the hands 
and feet, and the sweat at times smells of urine. The 
circulation is poor. The nervous system also becomes 



130 VIAVI HYGIENE 

involved. The sufferer is "blue" and hopeless, and there 
often develops a suicidal tendency. One is able to pro- 
cure but little rest at night, being driven from the bed 
frequently to urinate. The urine is turbid, and contains 
a heavy deposit of mucus at first; then it becomes scanty 
and blood-tinged, and often pure blood will follow urina- 
tion. 

In chronic cystitis the painful symptoms are not so 
severe, but the urine is loaded with a thick mucus. Such 
a condition is generally known as catarrh of the bladder. 

If, in the case of women, the bladder 

Treatment for is simply irritable from a displaced 
Cystitis womb, the treatment given for dis- 

placement is to be followed closely, 
while Viavi liquid is to be taken internally. 

Where the bladder is inflamed, instead of being merely 
irritated, rest in bed, for a time, is imperative. Where 
infection is the cause, it is always more serious, and 
while the Viavi system of treatment is not intended for 
such conditions, it has proved very helpful. 

Viavi Pencils should be inserted by men in the 
urethra, once daily, and more frequently in serious con- 
ditions. In the case of a woman, they should be gently 
pushed into the bladder. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken in the stomach as 
directed. Its purpose is to act directly in helping to 
reduce inflammation in the entire urinary tract, includ- 
ing kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. 

Viavi Capsules should be used in the vagina by 
women, twice daily. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used in the rectum 
by men, twice daily. 

Viavi Cerate should be used daily over the abdomen 
and the entire length of the spine. (See Cerate on Abdo- 
men and Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) 

Viavi Laxative should be employed as directed, to 
keep the bowels open. 



BLADDER AND URETHRA 131 

Cold Compress should be used daily over the bladder 
until the painful symptoms have somewhat subsided; 
then twice a week. 

Baths best suited to the individual should be used. 
(See Baths, final chapter.) 

Hot Sitz Bath. This will help to relieve the painful 
contraction of the sphincter of the bladder, and the sen- 
sation of fullness and pressure in the bladder. 

Diet should consist largely of milk and broths. 
Stimulants of all kinds should be strictly avoided. 



THE URETHRA 

The urethra is a small canal through which the urine 
is discharged from the bladder. It is soft and capable 
of distension, which permits the passage of calcula?, or 
stones, from the bladder. 

The urethra is frequently the seat of inflammation, 
which may extend from without inwardly or from within 
outwardly. The acute form, if not overcome, develops 
into the chronic. The lining may gradually peel off, 
leaving the surface raw, and a flow of blood is likely to 
follow urination. When inflammation of the urethra is 
accompanied with a discharge of mucus, there is catarrh 
of the urethra. 

The causes of inflammation of the 

The Causes of urethra are much the same as those of 

Urethritis inflammation of the bladder. In 

women, instrumental or tedious de- 
livery is responsible for many cases, this little duct being 
bruised and dragged downward so severely that injury is 
suffered and recovery is slow. Frequently injury to the 
urethra from this source is so serious as to necessitate 
treatment for bladder and kidney troubles. The hurt is 
caused by the advancing head of the child remaining 
wedged against the pubic bones for so long that the 
urethra is stripped and paralyzed. Anything that impli- 



132 VIAVI HYGIENE 

cates the lower part of the vagina is likely to involve the 
urethra, as it is imbedded in the anterior vaginal wall. 
Infection from "various sources is one of the causes. 

Alcoholic drinks, taking cold, and infection are the 
chief causes of urethritis among men. 

The chief symptom of inflammation of 

Symptoms of the urethra is painful urination, with 

Urethritis a sharp, scalding sensation. There is 

often a frequent desire to urinate, but 
not so frequent as in inflammation of the bladder. Reten- 
tion of urine is caused by dread of pain in voiding it, 
and may be relieved by the sufferer hearing the sound of 
water running from a faucet or poured from a pitcher. 

Urethral tumors, or caruncles, are bright or dark 
red, and in women hang from the urethral orifice 
like little tongues or beech nuts, one corner alone being 
attached. They may bleed easily, and be extremely 
painful, or may cause no pain for long periods of time, 
when an inflammatory condition or a slight injury will 
cause them to become exquisitely painful. 

In general, the treatment for urethritis 

Treatment for is the same as that for cystitis. In the 

Urethritis case of women, the pencils are used in 

the urethra. Any treatment which 
acts beneficially on the vagina will act likewise on the 
urethra ; hence with women the same treatment is advised 
for urethritis as for inflammation of the vagina (see chap- 
ter on Vagina). The capsule dissolved in the vagina is 
absorbed in the surrounding tissues, and thus the urethra 
is reached. 

Inflammation of the urethra has yielded 

Treatment for satisfactorily to the Viavi system of 

Caruncles treatment, but caruncles are very slow 

in disappearing and sometimes have 

proved incurable. They are, as a rule, a long time in 

forming, and so require a continued treatment. 

Outside of the Viavi method the treatment is surgical, 
but as nothing is done to relieve the cause producing them, 



BLADDER AND URETHRA 133 

they may be expected to appear in an exaggerated form. 
When caruncles are present the capillary circulation is 
always greatly impeded, and the capillaries are over- 
distended throughout the whole tract. By the use of 
the Yiavi system of treatment the capillary circulation 
has been established, and although the treatment has 
often required considerable time/ recovery gave pr< 
of permanency. 

If caruncles are present, three Yiavi capsules should 
be dissolved in a teaspoonful of olive oil or vaseline, and 
the external parts anointed several times a day, especially 
after urination. A frequent bathing of the external parts 
with cold water will also prove grateful and beneficial, 
after which the parts should always be anointed with the 
dissolved capsule. 

A barbarous treatment is cauterization. This often 
so injures the delicate membranes that they refuse to 
heal, leaving a painful sore, which gradually enlarges. 



CHAPTER XX. 



VARICOSE VEINS AND ULCERS 

VARICOSE veins are those in which the walls have 
become relaxed and overdilated, and are holding 
an abnormal quantity of blood. The term is 
restricted in general use to the veins in the ex- 
tremities, especially the lower extremities. The veins 
there have valves, which support the column of venous 
blood as it ascends, and prevent its running downward, 
acting as the valve in a pump. These are numerous in the 
veins near the surface, especially in the lower extremities. 
When the veins near the surface become greatly 
dilated, the circulation is rendered sluggish and is carried 
on by the deep veins, but it occasionally happens that the 
deep veins are first affected. This brings about a deplor- 
able condition. 

Varicosity begins with a slow dilation 

Condition of of the veins. This gradually pro- 

the Veins gresses until they become enlarged 

in calibre and crooked. The lining 
becomes altered and the valve shortened, or the valve 
is not sufficiently long to close the distended vessel; 
hence it becomes unable to support the column of blood. 
Varicosity of the capillaries frequently appears upon the 
skin like the roots of a tree. When the larger vessels are 
involved the veins become dilated, tortuous and knotty, 
standing out boldly above the level of the skin. Some- 
times the vessels burst, and serious and even fatal hemor- 
rhage results. There may be a slow exudation, or oozing, 
into the surrounding tissues, making the limb dropsical. 
It does not appear as an ordinary dropsical condition from 
obstructed venous return, but the skin has a solid, non- 
resisting, marble-like appearance and does not pit under 



VARICOSE VEINS AND ULCERS 135 

pressure. An eczema, or eruption; may develop with such 
a condition. 

While the legs are elevated they are to 
Treatment for be sponged with warm water and vine- 
Varicosity gar. (See Viavi Cerate, final chapter.) 
After they have been dried with a soft 
cloth or towel, a thorough application of Viavi cerate 
is to be made, rubbing from the feet toward the body. 
It is very essential that the rubbing be done toward the 
body, as the venous circulation is in that direction. If 
the rubbing is done from the body toward the feet, the 
flow is impeded and the varicose condition made worse. 
Great relief and beneficial results will follow placing 
the legs in a hot pack. This is done by wringing a piece 
of blanket or heavy flannel from water as hot as can be 
borne, and wrapping it about the leg, which again should 
be wrapped in dry flannel, and then kept in this pack for 
at least fifteen minutes, the leg being elevated, or on a 
level with the body if the sufferer is lying down. After 
removing the pack, a thorough application of the Viavi 
cerate is to follow. Standing upon the feet immediately 
afterward is to be avoided. The sufferer should remain 
quiet for at least an hour if the pack is taken in the morn- 
ing; if taken in the evening, one should at once go to bed. 
When the veins have become greatly distended the 
leg may be bandaged with strips of loosely woven flannel 
cut on the bias, care being taken not to bandage too 
tightly. The bandages should be placed about the ankle 
first, and gradually wound about the leg, finishing at the 
knee. 

When the condition has existed until 

If Ulceration the legs have become large, dropsical, 

Develops tense or swollen, and varicose ulcers 

have formed, we insist upon complete 

rest and quiet for a time. The legs, aside from the ulcers, 

are to be treated with the sponging and the cerate as 

advised in this chapter. The ulcers should be cleansed 

with warm water, in which have been placed five drops 

of carbolic acid to the quart. The water should play 



136 VIA VI HYGIENE 

upon the sore from the rectal tube of a fountain syringe, 
which should be hung only moderately high, so that 
the stream of water will have but little force. When the 
ulcer is thoroughly cleansed, dry with pieces of absorbent 
cotton. 

Apply the Viavi cerate over the ulcer as follows: 
If oiled silk is not available, prepare some mutton tallow 
by boiling it, then stirring it until it is cold. Spread 
some of this on a piece of linen; over the tallow spread 
a layer of the cerate. The tallow will prevent the 
cerate from being absorbed by the linen. Apply the 
side with the cerate upon it to the raw surface. If 
there are fissures, or cracks, the Viavi liquid, diluted 
one-half with water, sprayed upon the open sore with an 
-atomizer before applying the cerate, will act beneficially. 
The ulcer should be entirely covered with the liquid. A 
layer of absorbent cotton, or several layers of clean, soft, 
white old linen, may be placed over the ulcer and held in 
place by moderately tight bandages, so as completely to 
protect it. The sore should not be picked nor surgically 
interfered with. This treatment is to be employed twice a 
day until a decided improvement is noticeable; then once 
a day. If, however, the pressure against the blood vessels 
returning from the limbs, caused by enlargement, dis- 
placement, bruises, etc., may be the mechanical cause of 
the varicose condition of the limbs, then these conditions 
must be removed before the condition of the limbs can be 
perm a nent ly impro ved . 

Viavi Liquid should be taken internally as directed. 

Viavi Capsules should be used b}~ women if any form 
of uterine trouble be present. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used when rectal 
trouble is oresent. 

Baths. ' Use the bath that can best be used under the 
circumstances. (See Baths, final chapter.) 



CHAPTER XXL 



EAR AND EYE 

(and some of their diseases) 
THE EAR 

MAXY cases of deafness and suffering might be 
avoided by taking the trouble in time. It is 
then that the Viavi system of treatment has 
been especially useful. Some conditions become 
so far advanced that no treatment nor skill can overcome 
them. 

Earache is caused by colds, inflamma- 

Treatment for tion, foreign substances in the ear, 

Earache neuralgia or injury. Put two or three 

drops of Viavi Ear Treatment in a 

small vial or medicine dropper, warm it, and drop gently 

into the ear. Then cover the ear with a hot bag of salt 

or bran, or a hot-water bag. If there is tenderness in the 

ear, saturate with the Viavi Ear Treatment a pledget of 

cotton just large enough to fill the ear snugly, and insert 

it, leaving some of it protruding, that it may be easily 

withdrawn. Rub Viavi cerate thoroughly around the 

root of the ear fifteen or twenty minutes, twice daily. 

If the neuralgia was caused by cold, protect the ear 

with cotton when out in the cold; if a general neuralgia, 

make the diet light and nourishing. Should the health 

be at a low ebb, use the Viavi tonic as directed on the 

bottle. Should there be catarrh in the head, spray the 

Viavi liquid in the throat with an atomizer. 

Inflammation of the outer ear may be 
Treatment for caused by picking the ear with some 
Outer Ear hard substance, or by insects, pebbles, 
beans, etc., or by the stoppage of cer- 
tain small glands, causing them to become inflamed and 
producing little pustules or ulcers. 



138 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The ear should be thoroughly, gently cleaned with 
warm water and soap with a hand syringe, or with a 
fountain syringe hung only a foot above the ear, to pro- 
duce a gentle flow; this will wash out foreign substances. 
A pea or bean in a child's ear should be removed by a 
physician, and no water used before his arrival, as it will 
cause the seed to swell. After thorough cleansing, tilt 
the head and drop three drops of Viavi Ear Treatment in 
the ear, letting it go as far as it can. Rub the cerate 
around the ear, and if there is catarrh spray the nose and 
throat with Viavi liquid. 

Hardened wax represents an unhealthy 

Treatment for condition and leads to dulled hearing. 

Wax in Ear Attempts to remove it with a hard 

implement make it worse. The proper 

way is with warm water and good soap syringed gently 

into the ear. After this thorough cleansing, drop three 

drops of the Viavi Ear Treatment into the ear, with the 

head tilted, and have the fluid penetrate as far as it can. 

To better the general health, take every care with a 

wholesome, simple diet, and proper baths and exercise. 

The tympanum (drum) is a thin little 

Ruptured Drum membrane closing the outer from the 

of Ear middle ear. It receives the sound 

vibrations and by an ingenious mechan- 
ism transmits them to the hearing centers of the brain. 
It may be ruptured by a heavy fall, an explosion, or the 
use of a hard implement in cleaning the ear — a practice 
that never should be followed. Healthy ears do not need 
cleaning out. When they do need it, they should be made 
well. Cleaning out does not cure. 

The drum may be perforated by an abscess. If there 
is a discharge from the ear, a skillful aurist should be con- 
sulted. Rupture of the drum need not cause total deaf- 
ness in the affected ear, but it impairs the hearing. Should 
a rupture occur, a specialist should be called in, as there 
is danger that the mastoid cells back of the drum may 
become affected, producing a serious threat to the brain. 



EAR AND EYE 139 

In case of rupture, no liquid should be dropped into the 
ear. Simply insert a pledget of cotton saturated with the 
Viavi Ear Treatment a little way and consult a specialist 
at once. 

This occurs behind the drum, and 

Inflammation of is often caused by catarrh extending 

Middle Ear up the Eustachian tube from the 

mouth. It creeps up to the ear, 

producing partial or total deafness, and often invading 

the mastoid cells. This may necessitate one of the most 

dangerous of surgical operations. Catarrh of the head 

commonly affects the Eustachian tubes, and is the most 

general cause of deafness. To check the catarrh of the 

nose before it affects the ear is the sensible plan. (See 

chapter on Catarrhal Conditions.) 

The symptoms of inflammation of the middle ear are 
dullness of hearing, with noises in the ear; there may -or 
may not be pain and soreness, depending on the slowness 
or rapidity with which the condition advances. 

Spray the throat with Viavi liquid at least three times 
a day in chronic conditions, and every two or three hours 
in case of taking a cold. If there is no discharge from the 
outer ear, cleanse the ear with warm water and soap, 
and twice a day introduce three drops of Viavi Ear 
Treatment. Rub Viavi cerate around the ear thoroughly 
once a day. If there is a discharge, consult a specialist 
instead of using the above treatment, and meanwhile 
gently cleanse the ear with a pledget of cotton saturated 
with glycerine or warm water, and then insert a pledget 
of cotton saturated with Viavi Ear Treatment, renewing 
it daily. 

The diet should be nourishing and light. Hot salt 
baths and gentle exercise are useful. The vitality is often 
greatly reduced in such conditions, and as the catarrh 
is likely to be extensive, involving the nose, throat, 
bronchial tubes and stomach, the Viavi system of treat- 
ment for the condition should be thoroughly and persist- 
ently employed. 



140 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The attention of a skillful physician or 

Mastoid Disease aurist is demanded at once for this 

or Abscess serious condition. The symptoms are 

pain in the ear and in the bony eleva- 
tion immediately behind the ear upon tapping it with the 
finger or a pencil. Sometimes there are headache, dizzi- 
ness and vomiting. 

If a physician cannot be procured at once, proceed as 
follows until he arrives: Keep the ear warm with a hot- 
water bag, or a bag of hot hops or salt. Insert in the ear 
a pledget of cotton saturated with the Viavi Ear Treat- 
ment. Thoroughly rub Viavi cerate around the ear and 
especially over the bony prominence immediately behind 
it. Let the diet be light and nourishing. If there is 
fever, sponge baths should be given. The sufferer should 
be kept free from annoyance by noises. 

Absolute deafness indicates a condition 

Strange Noises in which destructive processes have 

in the Ear gone so far that no remedy has as yet 

been found. If there remains any 
degree of hearing, there is hope, even though the drum 
has been ruptured. Partial deafness, accompanied with 
ringing and other strange noises, which may seem un- 
bearable, invite intelligent and thorough treatment and 
living. The aim of the Viavi system of treatment is to 
Teach the cause of which the condition in the ear is a 
symptom With the cautions and restrictions herein 
given, one may hope for satisfactory results from the treat- 
ment where the jcause is removable. Patience and per- 
sistence are demanded. 



THE EYE 

The many afflictions to which the eyes are subject are 
out of all proportion to the general ignorance concerning 
these delicate organs and their care. Many of these 
troilbJes arise from the failure of parents to see that their 



EAR AND EYE 141 

children have good eyesight. Unless children's eyesight 
is very bad, they are not aware of a deficiency. Countless 
children have permanently injured their eyes and im- 
paired their health by straining to see with defective 
vision. Parents should have the eyes of all their children 
examined at a very early age by an expert ocuL 
optician, and spectacles should be provided for 
found defective. Many persons go half through life 
without know: - have defective vision, and suffer 

a constant strain that tells on the vitality. 

may be overstrained 

Treatment for from too close and constant use, or from 

Eye Strain becoming weak as the result of a gen- 

eakness or local disease, or from 

worry or anxiety or grief. The symptoms are pain and 

redness in the eyeball, sensitiveness to light, or a desire 

to press the I .: may feel as though sand were 

in them. 

With a medicine dropper let three drops of Viavi Eye 
Treatment o the open eye, with the head tilted 

back, three times a day. Viavi cerate should be thoi 
ly rubbed over the forehead, eyelids and temples, and on 
both sides of the n ho ear, twice daily for fifteen to 

twenty minutes at a time. The eyes should be 
as much as possible from the particular use which caused 
the inflammation. The diet should be plain and nourish- 
ing; avoid rich and stimulating foods and drinks. Tho 
circulation should be aided with baths and exercise. The 
bowels should be male to move once daily. Retire early 
and get all the sleep possible t 

mmation from foreign substances 

For Injury to in the eye, or from a blow, causing pain, 

the Eye redness or discoloration, should be 

If the eyeli 
stuck together in the morning, bathe them gently with 
warm water till they open, and cleanse the eye of matter 
that has gathered, and wear an eye-shade. Drop two 
drops of Viavi Eye Treatment into the eye every half 



142 VIAVI HYGIENE 

hour in severe cases; less often in milder cases or as the 
eye grows better. Give it perfect rest. If necessary, 
close it with a pad and bandage of soft linen; over this 
wear a green eye-shade. If the foreign substance, say a 
piece of steel or gravel, remains in the eye, it should be 
removed. This can frequently be done by pulling the 
upper eyelid over the lower one. If a piece of steel or 
other substance has become embedded in the ball, it 
should be promptly removed by a physician or an oculist. 
The Viavi cerate should be rubbed thoroughly over fore- 
head, eyelids and temples, and on both sides of the neck 
to the ear, twice daily, for fifteen or twenty minutes 
each time. 

Granulation of the lids is a more Or less 

Granulation of serious disease of the conjunctiva, the 

the Lids delicate membrane lining the lids and 

covering the ball. One form of it is 
trachoma, a contagious disease which deforms the lids; it 
requires the attention of an oculist. The edges of the 
lids show the swollen condition of the membrane. There 
is a feeling as of sand in the eyes. The balls and lids are 
sore and painful; the eyes are sensitive to light; tears 
are copious. Examination shows small elevations on the 
lining of the lids. 

Thoroughly cleanse the eyes with warm water, es- 
pecially if the lids are stuck together in the morning; wipe 
them gently with clean absorbent cotton. Never use 
towels, wash cloths, soap, or other toilet articles used by 
other members of the family. Always burn the absorbent 
cotton after using it. Drop two or three drops of Viavi 
Eye Treatment into each eye several times a day, or 
every half hour if the condition is severe. Protect from 
light with a cotton pad, a bandage and a green shade. 
Rest the eyes as much as possible. Employ a generous, 
easily digested diet, avoiding all stimulating food and 
drinks. Take plenty of rest, and secure a good circula- 
tion with moderate exercise and appropriate baths. (See 
Baths, final chapter.) Rub Viavi cerate thoroughly 
over the temples, eyelids and forehead, and on both sides 



EAR AND EYE 143 

of the neck to the ears, twice a day, for twenty minutes 
'at a time. 

The iris is the colored circular band 

Inflammation of around the pupil ; inflammation of it is 

the Iris iritis. It may be caused by strain, 

injury, nervous reflexes, colds, impure 
blood. The iris is inflamed and red, and the blood vessels 
on the white of the eye are congested. There are pain 
and tenderness in the ball, and sensitiveness to light. 
The pupil does not dilate readily. 

Thoroughly cleanse the eye with warm water. In 
severe inflammation, a cold compress may be put on the 
eye two or three times a day, by folding a fine, clean 
linen handkerchief, dipping it in cold water, laying it on 
the eye, and changing it every few minutes for an hour. 
Several times a day drop three drops of Viavi Eye Treat- 
ment into the eye. Rest the eye as much as possible; a 
pad may be worn over it. The diet should be bland; 
avoid stimulating drinks. Rest as much as possible. 
Take gentle exercise and baths. Rub Viavi cerate on tne 
forehead, eyelids and temples twice a day, twenty minutes 
at a time. 

Either on the day of birth, or a few 
Diseased Eyes days after, an infant's eyes may show 
of Infants disease from leucorrhea or infection of 
the mother. The lids are of a deep 
reddish-purple, with a wiiitish discharge; it may cause 
blindness. The conditions call for the immediate attention 
of a skillful oculist or physician. If one cannot be pro- 
cured, the eyes and eyelids should be thoroughly but very 
gently washed w T ith warm water, after which a drop of 
Viavi Eye Treatment should be used in each eye, this 
treatment repeated several times a day till the oculist 
arrives. Rub Viavi cerate over the forehead and temples 
and on both sides of the neck to the ears twice a day. As 
this danger to an infant may arise in any case where the 
mother has leucorrhea, it is important that women give 
thorough attention to their condition before the child 
comes. 



144 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Infants 7 and children's eyes often 

Diseases Due to become infected by the use of towels' 

Infection or cloths that have been used by adults 

suffering with leucorrhea or an in- 
fectious disease, or by unclean hands. Acute suffering 
follows; there are copious discharges of tears and pus, 
inflammation, sensitiveness to light. In all such cases a 
skilled oculist should be called at once, or blindness may 
result. Until he comes the following alleviative treatment 
may be used: 

Thoroughly but gently cleanse the eyes, afterward 
burning the cotton or linen so used. Apply several drops 
of Viavi Eye Treatment to the eyes several times a day. 
Rub the cerate thoroughly over the forehead, eyelids and 
temples, and on both sides of the neck to the ears, twice 
a day for twenty minutes at a time. Withhold stimulat- 
ing food and drinks. Provide absolute rest and a darkened 
room. Bathe the body gently. " Avoid kissing, and 
prevent the discharges from the eyes from reaching any 
one. Keep the hands thoroughly washed in warm water 
to which has been added a little carbolic acid. Keep the 
finger nails short and perfectly clean. 

A yellowish white triangular growth 

Growth on the may extend from the inner corner of the 

Eyeball eye toward the pupil. It may be caused 

by dust or wind, by strain, or by other 
irritation. 

In such cases avoid over-working the eyes. Wear 
smoked glasses on windy or dusty days, and see that the 
eyes are fitted with proper glasses, which may have to be 
changed from time to time, especially when the eyes are 
growing better. Put two drops of Viavi Eye Treatment 
into the eye three times daily, and rub Viavi cerate over 
the forehead, eyelids and temples, and on both sides of the 
neck to the ears, twice daily for twenty minutes at a time. 
Take nourishing, easily digested food; avoid stimulating 
drinks. Baths and exercise should be rationally employed. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



WOUNDS, SPRAINS, BURNS, ETC. 

THE employment of the Viavi cerate for wounds, 
burns, sprains, bruises and other injuries has been 
more than satisfactory. Its efficacy as a dressing 
for injuries has been studied by the staff of 
physicians in the extensive Viavi laboratories at San 
Francisco, California, where it has for years been thor- 
oughly tested. These experiments were made at first 
under the most rigid antiseptic precautions, but as no 
inflammation occurred, the wounds healing by first 
intention, less and less antiseptic caution w T as observed, 
until the cleansing of the wounds with tepid water in 
which a few drops of carbolic acid had been placed, was 
all that was done before binding up the injured member 
in the cerate. 

These physicians discovered a radical 

Absorption of departure from established experience 

the Cerate* with the old-fashioned moist treatment 

with salves, ointments, etc., for in 

using the Viavi cerate they found that the moisture of 

the cerate was not retained, because the cerate was 

rapidly absorbed. This made it necessary in severe 

injuries to renew the application tw^o and even three 

times daily. Rapid rebuilding and union of the tissues 

followed. There was no rise of temperature, and no 

abnormal ' sensitiveness developed. The rapidity of 

repair was astonishing. 

Our object in experimenting without antiseptic pre- 
cautions was to see the results that followed the use of the 
cerate where such precautions could not be taken, and 
where they w r ere not understood; but the best cleansing 
process that is possible to obtain at the time and place 
should always be used. 



146 VIAVI HYGIENE 

There may be no necessity for hurried 

It May Prevent amputations of seriously injured parts, 

Amputation as neither inflammation nor blood 

poisoning is likely to occur if the 
injured part is abundantly supplied with the cerate. 
The healing process commences at once. If, after two 
or three days' use of the cerate in extensive injuries, 
other than fracture of the bones, amputation is found 
necessary, no time has been lost by the application of 
the cerate, as the injured parts will be found to heal 
much better and more quickly because of its having been 
used. 

Under the use of the cerate the wound takes on a 
greenish hue, but remains sweet and odorless, with gener- 
ally no tendency to swelling. 



SPRAINS AND OTHER INJURIES 

As marked benefits have followed the use of the cerate 
for sprains as for wounds and burns. When the wrist is 
sprained it is not only the muscles in the immediate 
vicinity of the wrist that are injured, but the whole 
length of the nerves leading up the arm and into the 
spinal column. It can now be understood why the treat- 
ment must not be confined to the wrist, but must include 
the whole arm, the shoulder, and the upper part of the 
spine. (See Application of Cerate, closing chapter.) 

For a sprained foot, ankle or knee, similar treatment 
is to be followed, as here again the whole length of the 
nerve to the spinal cord shares the injury. 

So many gratifying results have been secured from 
the use of the cerate in minor and even serious injuries 
that it would be impossible to begin their enumeration 
here. Those who know the value of the cerate for these 
purposes keep it on hand for all such emergencies. Exten- 
sive burns, when liberally treated with the cerate, have 
come out without a scar. Partial paralysis of a man's 
arm from a fall on the shoulder disappeared under the use 
of the cerate. 



WOUNDS, SPRAINS, ETC. 147 

A HOUSEHOLD REMEDY 

(including needs of infants and children) 

It must be evident that the Viavi system of treatment 
is a household necessity for some conditions. In every 
home there should be a box in which should be kept a 
box each of Viavi capsules, rectal suppositories, cerate 
and laxative; also a bottle each of the Viavi liquid and 
royal. This box should be kept closed and in a cool place. 

Excellent results have followed the use 

Its Effects Upon of the cerate when thoroughly applied 

Children over the bodies of growing children and 

developing girls. (See chapter on Non- 
Development.) Intelligent mothers who have used the 
Viavi system of treatment and understand its action as 
an assistant to Nature in their own condition, fully realize 
its help in building the tissues, muscles and nerves in 
growing children. We ask that mothers who have never 
employed the treatment in this manner, massage with 
Viavi cerate the spinal column of the overtaxed school 
child and note the results. It will come home from 
school much brighter, its eyes and head will not ache, 
and it will soon be able to master the home study with 
which its tired little brain is commonly overtaxed. If 
the mother is not physically able to do this, she should 
employ some one to do it for her; she will find this to 
be the best investment that she ever made. It repays 
itself in the rapidly developing bodies of girls and boys. 

In infantile paralysis the results have 

In Paralysis of been little short of miraculous when 

Children compared with those obtained from 

other methods. One of many inter- 
esting cases of so-called incurable paralysis was that of a 
six-year-old child who had completely lost the use of her 
lower limbs, when an infant, from scarlet fever. As the 
parents were wealthy, the best medical skill had been 
employed, but to no avail. The mother was using the 
Viavi system of treatment, and it was suggested that she 



148 VIAVI HYGIENE 

rub the cerate over the child's legs and spine daily. The 
little limbs were useless when the treatment was com- 
menced, but in time the child was able to walk across 
the room. Other cases of a similar nature have shown 
the efficacy of the treatment in diseases peculiar to 
infancy and childhood. Curing weakness in childhood 
assures a healthy and happy life. 

Many children suffer shame and some 
Weak Bladder in of them unjust punishment for in- 
Children ability to control the urine. Unless 

confidence has been established be- 
tween them and their parents they may conceal their 
condition and continue to suffer. Children should be 
carefully looked after in that regard by parents and 
teachers, and on the slightest sign of bladder weakness 
should have thorough treatment, lest the weakness 
become chronic. Those afflicted in this way have readily 
recovered under the Viavi system of treatment. This 
is simple, 

Viavi Cerate should be applied thoroughly over the 
abdomen and lower half of the back once a day. (See 
Application of Cerate, final chapter.) 

Viavi Liquid in children's doses should be given 
as directed. 

When the child first gives the peculiar 

Treatment for cough that is characteristic of croup, a 

Croup hot-water bag should be placed at the 

back between the shoulders* and while 

the child is well covered, so as to prevent chilling, the 

cerate should be applied, under cover, in a very thorough 

manner, over the chest and throat. (See chapters on 

Catarrhal Conditions and The Lungs.) 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 

WHEX Oliver Wendell Holmes was asked at what 
age we should begin to live aright, he answered, 
"Two hundred years before we are born." 
That is to say, we should provide two hundred 
years in advance for the welfare of our progeny. By 
longing for children, by loving them before they .are 
born, by putting our whole being, physical, mental and 
spiritual, in the right condition for parenthood, our 
children will be born not only with our excellencies, but 
with even higher conceptions of love, marriage and 
parenthood; they in their time will naturally choose in 
marriage partners of like qualities, and will bring forth 
children as much superior to themselves as they to us. 
Let this proceed for six generations, or two hundred 
years, and a line of a high order' will have been estab- 
lished. We take extraordinary pains and expend vast 
sums to build houses that may stand five hundred or a 
thousand years, and we have developed with incredible 
pains our finest domestic animals and plants from the 
crudest wild stock. In development, our race is thou- 
sand- of year- behind the humble creatures that have 
been evolved to high types by our intelligence. 

It is estimated that in the United 

Production of States alone there are nearly a million 

Incompetents incompetents in the prisons and lunatic 

asylums. But they are only the very 

worst. Besides them are millions of social burdens, 

some in poor-houses, others supported by private and 

. ;anized ch still others tramps and beggars, and 

a great army f mere drones and invalids in families. All 

of thpse live on the bounty of the competent and are a 



150 VIA VI HYGIENE 

drag on progress, probably all of them come from viola- 
tions of Nature's laws in marriage and parenthood, and 
many of them are producing after their kind. Thus an 
unchecked, unheeded injury of incalculable magnitude 
is being done to worthy, intelligent parents, to their 
children, to society, industry, government and the race. 
Any man or woman would manage a farm or a barnyard 
on a more intelligent plan. 

Nature does what she can to make us 

Nature Always heedful. She not only imposes suffer- 

Punishes ing for violation of her laws, but when 

she sees that we refuse to heed and are 
a positive menace to her benign purposes, one of which 
is to bring ourselves as a race to higher and still higher 
levels by the exercise of the intelligence she has given us 
for that very purpose, she determines to destroy us. This 
she does in various ways; her commonest method is to 
remove us with disease. She is merely showing the 
wisdom of the barnyard manager who kills a feeble or 
dangerous animal lest it injure the others or lower the 
standard by breeding with them. 

While the heavier parental obligations 
Duty of the rest on the mother, those resting on 
Father the father are sufficiently grave. A 

division of interest is too often seen, 
the man making the sole fight outside the home, and the 
woman having sole charge of the children. There can 
be no more serious mistake than the man's exclusion from 
the home management if there are children. A child is 
the most helpless of young creatures, and is most in need 
of love and guidance. Capable as a mother may be, her 
capability is largely increased by the co-operation of her 
husband. And it is just as much his duty as hers to see 
that all the conditions of parenthood are right before it 
is even invited either by intention or chance. Partner- 
ship in parenthood is the first essential of a home. The 
faculties of a man and of a woman are different; in that 
very fact lies their value in combination. Their training 
is different; their knowledge of the world and of human 



PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 151 

nature is often radically different. Marriage tends to 
broaden both, and the greater value of this effect is not 
the ampler life that it gives to each, but the better wis- 
dom from combining their powers for the children's good. 

A mother may have the mistaken idea 

Mistaken Sense that she should not worry her husband 

of Duty if anything goes wrong with the 

children. It is his right to know and 
his duty to help. There is probably something wrong 
with the man whose wife, with a mistaken sense of con- 
sideration, withholds from him the most vital things 
concerning Iris life, for those things reside in his wife and 
children. Some confidences of great delicacy belong 
between the mother and her daughters, others between 
a father and his sons; but this does not exclude full 
knowledge of the children by both parents. No matter 
how great the natural responsibility of the mother, that 
of the father is not weakened thereby. It is an evil for 
him to shift to his wife his share of the responsibility, and 
she should never assume it. 

Great as is the responsibility of the 

Duties of the father, that of the mother is greater. 

Mother During pregnancy she nourishes the 

child with her own blood, the quality 
and circulation of which, and consequently the strength 
of the child, depend on her conduct. Until the child is 
weaned its food comes from her body; the quality of this 
food depends upon her, and directly affects the child. 
AH during infancy and childhood the child craves all the 
love, tenderness, wisdom and guidance of which she is 
capable, for she is its natural nurse, the forming force of 
its life. To the extent that any of these elements are 
weak, the child will suffer physically and mentally, and to 
the extent that they approach perfection, it will thrive. 

On this subject a great woman has 

Line of Least said: "We have been taught that it is 

Resistance an awful thing to commit murder, to 

take human life, and so of course it is. 

But do you know that there are students of anthropology 



152 VIA VI HYGIENE 

and heredity who think that it may be even a more awful 
thing to thrust, unasked, upon a human being a life that 
is handicapped before he gets it? Did you ever think 
seriously of that? No man is bad simply from choice. 
If you are good and true and lofty it is simply because, 
all things considered, that is to you •the line of least 
resistance. The parents of the race must make it easy 
to be good, easy to be true, hard to be ignoble or criminal, 
not by rewards or punishments, — those methods have 
been weighed and found wanting, — but by the very 
blood pulsations that are transmitted from "both parents 
to the children to whom they take the tremendous 
responsibility of giving life. It is the fashion to repeat, 
'The hand that rocks the cradle rules the v/orld. ; Every 
one knows that this is not true in the sense* in which it- 
has always been used. It is true, alas, in a sense never 
dreamed of by politician or publicist." 

A great editor, commercing upon a 

A Heritage of call for a series of women's congresses, 

Ignorance wrote: "The purpose is to illustrate 

and celebrate the progress of women. 
Accordingly there will be sessions to discuss the achieve- 
ments of women in art, authorship, business, science, 
historic endeavor, law, medicine, and a variety of other 
activities. But so far as the printed programmes enable 
us to judge, not one thing is to be done to show the pro- 
gress of women as women. There will be no showing 
made of an increased capacity on their part to make 
homes happier, to make husbands stronger for their work 
in the world, to encourage high endeavors, to maintain 
the best standards of honor and duty, to stimulate, 
encourage, uplift, which from the beginning of ' ion 

have been the supreme feminine function. 
appears, is to be done at the congresses to show that a 
higher education and a larger intellectual advancement 
have enabled women to bear healthier children, or to 
bring them up in a manner more surely tending to make 
this a better world to live in — the noblest of all work that 
can be done by women. We need, no congre-- v us 



PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 153 

that "women are more thoroughly educated than once 
they were, or that they can successfully do things once 
forbidden them. But have wider culture and wider 
opportunities made them better wives and mothers? A 
congress which assumes that the only thing to be cele- 
brated is an increased capacity to win fame and money, 
will teach a disastrously false and dangerous lesson to 
our growing girls. This fatal blunder as to the value of 
woman's development, as woman, quite aside from her 
hom£ relations, has retarded the real civilization and 
caused to be Transmitted (unnecessarily transmitted) the 
characteristics which have gone far to make insanity, 
disease and deformity of mind and body the heritage of 
will-nigh every family in the land." 

Says Mary Howitt: "God sends us 

Noble View of children for another purpose than 

Motherhood merely to keep up the race: to kindle 

our hearts; to make us unselfish, and 

full of kindly sympathies and affections; to give our souls 

higher aims, and to call out all our faculties to expend on 

enterprise and exertion ; to bring round our firesides bright 

faces and happy smiles, and loving, tender hearts." 

It is not possible for a physically im- 
The Basis of perfect mother to have for her child 
Guidance that love which has its basis in perfec- 

tion. She may lavish on it all the 
affection of which she is capable; but it will not be the 
sound affection of the physically perfect mother; it is 
likely petulant and uneven. There is nothing so tragic 
as that form of melancholia in ailing mothers which 
finally leads them to the destruction of their children. 
Many a mother, finding her own life unbearable, has 
killed her children before taking her own life, fearing to 
leave them motherless. 

One of many similar cases that have come under our 
observation was that of a woman, who, nervous from a 
uterine trouble, sent her little boy into the street to find 
his ii:e, as she could not bear the noise that every boy 



154 VIAVI HYGIENE 

has a right to make. There he learned things that 
eventually made him a murderer. A well and wise 
woman might have foreseen such an end. 

The first right of a child is to be born 
Natural Rights on purpose — to be longed for, planned 
of Children for, loved even before it is conceived. 
But as this planning is not practicable 
in all cases, for the reason that children may unexpectedly 
appear, and, what is most lamentable, sometimes when 
they are not desired, the next right of the child is that its 
parents, particularly its mother, should be fully prepared 
for parentage. The great source of pre-natal harm to 
children is found in the unhealthy condition of the 
mother's generative system. If the danger came from 
lung troubles, or stomach troubles, or the like, then her 
attention would have been directed to that. But such 
is not the case. It is the terrible prevalence of weakness 
and disease in the generative systems of women, and the 
far-reaching effects of those conditions upon the life of 
the sufferer and her offspring, that represent the great 
evil of civilization. Our plan for reaching it is, first, the 
education of women upon- these subjects; second, the 
placing in their hands of a natural method of treatment 
by which thousands of women have been brought to the 
highest standard of physical excellence; third, the knowl- 
edge that these conditions should be cared for early, 
while Nature can help, before it is too late. 

It is for the reason that diseases of 

Uterine Disease the generative system seriously affect 

Disastrous the nervous system of women, and 

consequently the mind, that mental 

infirmities, with tragic results, often arise from them. 

No diseases have so great an effect in rendering mothers 

irritable and the noise of their children annoying. 

The mother suffering with a disease of the generative 
organs is constantly under a nervous strain, because 
those organs constitute the center of the female economy 
during the generative life. Every nerve cries out un- 



PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY 155 

eeasingly. Every external impression must travel over 
suffering nerves to reach the brain, where it may paint a 
picture more or less distorted. Every noise is an irri- 
tation. Often the whole complexion of life is changed 
to a greater or less extent, whether the sufferer may be 
aware of the fact or not. Demonstrations of affection 
from the children and from all others may have either 
a weakened force and significance, or become distasteful. 
It is often equally bad with thoughts originating in 
the mind and with the emotions, for to a greater or less 
extent they partake of the diseased condition. They 
may be unstable and ill-directed, and weaker than in 
health. Love may insensibly merge into hate. Im- 
patience easily becomes intolerance. The judgment 
suffers. The perception and understanding of external 
things being imperfect, there may be uncertainty in 
the conduct. 

No fact of history is clearer than that 

Wise Mothers' "The mothers of great men have them- 

Children selves been great." What mother 

would not be proud of a Washington 
or an Alexander the Great for a son? A beautiful legend 
runs to the effect that from the time when the advent of 
a Christ was prophesied, every Jewish maiden was taught 
to make herself worthy to be chosen by Jehovah for the 
mother of the Son of God. This was persisted in for 
many generations, with the result that to-day Jewish 
girls are remarkable for their soundness, vigor and 
beauty, and Jewish mothers for their comparative 
healthiness and their superior qualities of wifehood and 
motherhood and domestic management, and for the love 
and reverence which their children have for them. 

The healthy child of a sound mother is the greatest of 
all blessings. Its own life is a continual joy, and it 
brings joy to all within its circle. The mother's heart 
swells with a tender pride in the treasure that heaven has 
sent her, and her soul is doubly armed for the trials that 
her life may bring. It is not difficult to be such a woman, 



156 VI AVI HYGIENE 

such a mother. Nature imposes no unreasonable tasks r 
and the rewards that she gives for obedience to her laws 
are as rich as the punishments she sends for infractions- 
are severe. Our highest gratification as founders of the 
Viavi movement is in observing such mothers and children 
as the direct result of the good accomplished by this 
movement. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



A TALK WITH MEN ABOUT WOMEN 

When a man's wife or daughters are suffering from a 
disease peculiar to their sex, they should be able to secure 
his co-operation, for often a man's practical training 
renders his judgment exceptionally valuable. It is a 
subject that, unfortunately, many men avoid through a 
sense of delicacy, a praiseworthy trait wmere it is wisely 
exercised, but if at the expense of the family's happiness 
and the husband's prosperity, it is unwise. 

The following incident will show to 
Need of Parents' fathers the need of looking after their 
Confidence children and establishing confidence 
with them: A bright boy sixteen years 
old had made no growth since he was thirteen. As a con- 
sequence, he was at a disadvantage in his classes, and 
when he was placed in a large merchantile house, he found 
other and larger, though younger, boys promoted over 
him, while he was as bright and capable as any, though 
so small and childish-looking that the proprietors would 
not advance him. A close observer might have noticed 
.e suffered in some way, but being modest, and his 
confidence not being invited, he kept his counsel. When 
he had passed his sixteenth year, his health broke down, 
A physician was summoned, and he found a defect that 
prevented development. From Nature's efforts to force 
the development, illness and great suffering had ensued. 
The difficulty was easily remedied; the boy quickly 
recovered, and began to grow with astonishing rapidity. 
He became an entirely different boy. He grew strong 
where he had been puny before, and w r as promoted to a 
more responsible and lucrative position. If there had been 
the proper understanding between father and son, the 



158 VI A VI HYGIENE 

trouble would have been averted when it first appeared, 
for the boy would have told his father. Similar instances 
of children suffering because of a lack of parental oversight 
and confidence are much more common than is generally 
known. 

If we regard the health of the family 
Business Point from a mere business point of view, we 
of View shall find it highly important. A man 

will make the conditions of any under- 
taking as favorable as possible, for thereby he saves 
strength and time which he can profitably employ. 
The condition of a man's family bears a very intimate 
relation to his success or failure. His wife is his partner, 
even though she may know nothing about his business. 
Health in a wife is required for that clear judgment upon 
which the proper management of the household depends. 
If she is ailing or peevish or weak, she cannot take the 
interest in his success that she would if well, and her 
condition depresses him. This seems so self-evident that 
one might wonder why it is stated here; but the truth 
is that comparatively few men consider it. 

The amount of money which a man expends for the 
treatment of his wife and daughters is, of course, a sec- 
ondary consideration, the main thing being to secure their 
health, whatever the cost, if the man can find the money. 
For it is better to live in a hovel with health than in a 
palace with disease. At the same time, it is foolish to 
waste money, no matter how much a man may have. 
If needless spending for treatment impoverishes the family, 
a deplorable condition is presented. Countless men have 
their noses kept to the grindstone by expenditures be- 
cause of the invalidism of their wives and daughters. 
The reasons are very plain; the ordinary methods of 
treating women's diseases are too often inadequate, 

A husband and father would care nothing for any 
expense — provided he was able to meet it — that would 
restore his loved ones to health. But after all is spent, 
and nothing has been accomplished, what has been the 
benefit from the expenditure? Compared with such ex- 



A TALK WITH MEN 159 

pense, that incurred by adopting the Yiavi system of 
treatment is insignificant. 

Xo one, however skillful, can promise definite results 
in any person's condition in advance, because cure de- 
pends upon the sufferer's recuperative powers; and hence 
no reasonable person will ask a guarantee. Yet a man 
reasons that if a treatment is in harmony with Nature's 
laws, one may expect in the average condition what has 
been accomplished in the past in like conditions. This 
appeals to the common sense of a man, who will cheerful-ly 
make an expenditure for tangible results. 

Apart from the natural affection that 

Proud of His a man has for his children is the pride 

Children that he takes in them. It humiliates 

and grieves him to see them inferior 

to other children. A man takes pride in the sturdiness 

and manliness of his sons, and in the beauty, sweetness, 

modesty and brightness of his daughters. He may love 

them all the more if they are deficient, but there is a pain 

in his love that nothing can cure. 

" The health, the modesty, the happiness, the life of 
those nearest and dearest to him are matters that every 
man should earnestly consider. 

Suppose that a man has a lav/suit 

Men Must Use seriously affecting his interests. Will 

Judgment he occupy his mind with other matters, 

leaving all the work to his lawyers? 
He will know that they have other cases, that their 
interest is of necessity divided, and that no matter how 
much money he may be paying them for their sendees, 
they can not neglect their other clients.' Instead of 
leaving everything to them, he will give them every 
assistance in his power. He will seek out evidence that 
might be useful. He will ascertain the bearing of the law 
on his case. He will insist on knowing why they do this or 
that . for he has common sense, he knows that it is valuable 
in every concern of life, that no amount of special training 



160 VIAVI HYGIENE 

can take its place, and that sometimes such, training may 
obscure it. 

It is so with everything; he will not trust the most 
vital matters wholly to others. His responsibilities in 
matters affecting him are greater than those which any 
one else can feel. No other person can give the subject 
that concentration which he can give, that attention 
based on a realization of its vital meaning to him. 

Why should he make an exception in the case of his 
wife and daughters, who trust to his devotion and intelli- 
gence? In what other concern of his life could there be so 
urgent a demand upon him? 

There is a feature of the Viavi system 

The Proof Is of treatment that appeals to the prac- 

Necessary tical sense of a man, and this is that 

all concerned with its promotion are 
keenly desirous that it should be successful. Hence the 
treatment which the founders put forth must have 
accomplished what they claim it has. They know that if 
they made assertions or claims that could not be verified, 
they would lose that public confidence which is so neces- 
sary to a wide acceptance of the treatment. As a matter 
of fact, the success of the treatment has been so far in 
advance of that secured by usual methods as to make 
the founders prefer that the treatment itself should pro- 
claim its more remarkable achievements. They realize 
that for sufferers to secure better results than they had 
expected or hoped for is the surest way to advance the 
reputation of the treatment. The efficiency of the 
treatment explains the extent of its adoption, through 
the enthusiastic support of those who have received its 
benefits. Obviously, one recovery assures the adoption 
of the treatment by others, but one failure would do more 
harm to the reputation of the treatment than one success 
would do good. Care is taken to see that the condition 
for which the treatment is contemplated comes within the 
range of the conditions which the treatment has success- 
fully reached. 



A TALK WITH MEN 161 

Many men know nothing about the 

Philosophy of nature of the treatment to which their 

Treatment wives and daughters are ordinarily 

subjected. Why should they not? 
The Viavi system of treatment is so simple and rational 
that every man can easily comprehend it and intelligently 
observe conditions as they are affected by it. 

The philosophy and details of the treatment, as given 
throughout this volume, appeal with special force to the 
common sense of men. Repeated experience has shown 
that where the husband or father has acquired an under- 
standing of the treatment, his common sense is convinced, 
and that his aid in the precision and persistence with 
which the treatment should be used is of the greatest 
value. A woman's courage may fail under the weakening 
effects of her disease; it is then that the hearty masculine 
encouragement is priceless. Nothing is more important 
to a woman, especially if she is ill, than the understanding 
and sympathy of her husband. Interest in the treatment 
and fidelity in its use are more than doubled if both 
husband and wife are partners in her employment of it. 
A man's duty to his wife or daughter in this regard 
does not end with an exercise of his judgment in the 
selection of a method of treatment ; cf equal value will be 
ids sympathetic co-operation with the use of the treatment. 

The man is the natural protector of his 

The Father's wife and daughters, and they will trust 

Influence him before any one else. He will give 

them all the sympathy and assistance 
he can. He has mismanaged seriously if he is not in a 
position to know whether they are afflicted with some 
disease peculiar to their sex. But by far the greater 
trouble with him is that, like them, even if he knows they 
have some such trouble, apparently slight, he does not 
realize its tendency to advance steadily toward a chronic 
and constantly depressing condition that will affect the 
welfare of the entire family. Let any man whose friend's 
wife has become a confirmed invalid, or has undergone 
a capital operation, ask his friend a few simple questions, 



162 VIAVI HYGIENE 

such as these: "Did your wife's trouble begin some 
time ago, perhaps years ago, with leucorrhea, or inflam- 
mation or displacement of the womb, or as the result of 
miscarriage or childbirth, or with painful menstruation? 
Did she receive the usual treatment, such as astringent 
douches, or curetting, or pessaries, or what not? Did 
she grow steadily worse under it all? Or was her condi- 
tion simply neglected, and she grew worse in that way? 
Has the operation made her a sound woman?" Let him be 
sure that the answers he receives are correct, for his 
friend may not be thoroughly informed; he may have left 
everything to others. If the answers are correct, we 
know pretty well what they will be. Then let the man 
ask how much it all cost. Of course he will reflect that 
the direct money cost will represent but a fraction of the 
whole money cost, and that there has been a heavy 
additional cost in far more serious ways. 

Then let the man ask himself whether the entire 
treatment convinced his reason, his common sense, as 
being a natural treatment, one aimed to go to the root 
of the trouble, or whether it looked artificial or forcing, 
beginning at the wrong end. 

As a rule, men do not stand in as much 

Independence of awe of authority as women do ; they are 

Judgment likely not to take as much for granted 

as women do. The training of a life- 
time has taught them more reliance on self. It is proper 
for a man to use the experience and wisdom of others as 
far as he finds them useful, but the last thing he is likely 
to do is to surrender his right of decision. He would 
rather run the risk of mistakes due to his errors of judg- 
ment. 

We always prefer that the husband or father should 
heartily coincide with his wife's decision to adopt the 
Viavi system of treatment, partly because his sympathy 
and co-operation during the use of the treatment are ex- 
ceedingly valuable, but especially because he is not likely 
to agree to its use until his common sense has been 
convinced that it is the very best that can be found. It 



A TALK WITH MEN 163 

is an extraordinary exception for a man to fail in being 

so convinced after he has studied the philosophy of this 
treatment and seen the overwhelming evidence that can 
be shown him of what Nature, aided by the system of 
treatment, has done over and moreover in probably just 
such cases as the one he has at home. 

Common sense and proof are. a man's anchorage. 
When he knows, nothing can shake him. No ridicule of 
something not belonging to some special school of medi- 
cine has any effect on him, for he knows how the different 
schools ridicule one another. 

In some cases where the condition has 

The Unnecessary been neglected or improperly treated 

Operation until the recuperative powers are no 

longer able to respond, an operation 
may become necessary. We may be reasonably sure that 
such a necessity would not have arisen if the husband 
had informed himself and the proper treatment had been 
adopted in time. But the vital question to the man now 
is, how is he to know positively that an operation is 
necessary, even though told that it is? Is he going to 
take anybody's word for it without looking into the 
matter himself? And will he consent to it, without 
knowing himself the condition in which the operation 
will leave his wife? She may have a chronic trouble 
that has failed to yield to a certain treatment. Will the 
man accept a declaration that an operation is the only 
remaining reliance, when hundreds of sufferers have been 
told the same thing and yet means were found and used 
by which they got well without the operation; and that 
in all the world and among all the bounties of Nature 
there is absolutely nothing but an operation to be found? 

There is rarely any need to hurry in 

Uncertainty in these long-established conditions, and 

Operations when they do exist, no short cut to 

health is possible. That is not Nature's 

way. And very often there is a wrong diagnosis, and the 

cutting based on it is found to be an error. Possibly the 



164 VI AVI HYGIENE 

man and his wife may never be told of that. When a man 
considers the extreme natural repugnance and terror 
that a woman has for cutting, he will hesitate before 
employing any hasty persuasion to get her on the operat- 
ing-table. And, after all, the man will reflect that, 
whether the operation is in reality a necessity or not, it is 
not a natural method and does not remove the condition 
that brought on the necessity to operate. He will reflect 
further that the necessity, real or apparent, probably 
arose because the particular treatment that had been 
employed was a failure. 

All that can be seen by visual exami- 

Where Skill Is nation of a woman's generative organs 

Fallible is the lining of the vagina and a part 

of the neck of the womb. Symptoms of 
conditions in the hidden organs are often — and generally — 
complex and obscure, so that much guessing generally 
has to be done. There is always a chance for a disastrously 
wrong guess. Women have been cut open for a supposed 
tumor that distended the abdomen, and then found not to 
have a tumor at all, but to be perfectly healthy and far 
advanced in pregnancy. A well-informed man knows 
why uncertainties of diagnosis exist, and he cannot be 
convinced that they do not exist. It is difficult to imagine 
anything more pathetic or appealing than a woman who 
suffers from a wrong guess. 

A man who has informed himself 

Conditions That cannot be convinced that any human 

Baffle foresight can know what the ultimate 

result of an operation will be. No 
positiveness of assertion will affect him. A woman's 
apparent recovery will not deceive him, nor will any 
assurances that she has recovered, for he will know that 
only the coming years can tell. The complexity, sensi- 
tiveness and delicacy of a woman's organism baffle the out- 
look. No two women are ever alike, no two ever have 
exactly similar conditions, no two are affected equally 
by an operation, no two are at all likely to be situated 
alike or to think and act alike and thus affect after-con- 



A TALK WITH MEN 165 

ditions similarly. What lias happened in the case i f one 
woman who has been operated on, may or may not 
happen in the case of another. A thousand chances are 
against it. A man will think twice before trusting blindly 
to blind chance. 

Every well-informed man knows that 

New Fashions in surgery, like other great and useful 

Surgery sciences, is in a constant state of change, 

droppingold errors and trying new ways. 
What was thought good and even necessary yesterday is 
abandoned to-day as wrong. Removal of the appendix 
is an illustration. The supposed good accomplished by it 
led many to urge the removal of the appendix even when 
it was not affected, to avert danger of its disease. Much of 
this was done, and it was invariably urged in slight at- 
tacks of appendicitis. Then came a reaction to some 
extent. It was reflected that possibly Nature did know 
her business, after all, and had some obscure use for the 
seemingly useless little appendix. 

Yet, even as late as the present year (1908) the reform 
appears not to be all that might be desired, if the following 
from an article in the March, 1908, issue of Colorado 
Medicine, the official organ of the Colorado State Medical 
Society, may be taken to represent the true condition of 
affairs at this time: "There are few conscientious physi- 
cians but will reluctantly admit that there are to-day more 
operations on than diseases of the appendix vermiformis." 
It is sincerely to be hoped that a true reform will come 
both with regard to the unnecessary removal of the 
appendix and equally unnecessary operations on women. 

Operation for cancer is undergoing a 

Conflict Over similar revision. Formerly, it was 

Cancer universally declared among experts 

that the knife offered the only hope in 

any case. But some were curing cancer without the 

knife. Now many of the experts have abandoned the 

knife and are using milder measures, and there is a great 

professional war in progress over the question as to 

whether the knife or a milder method is the better. 



166 VI AVI HYGIENE 

There are, too, wide divergencies of method in opera- 
tions for the same condition, and the discovery has been 
made that operations themselves may lay a train of 
serious diseases, without considering the immediate 
dangers often attending them. 

If an effort is made to convince a man 

No Man Will Be that his wife or daughter is in a critical 

Hurried condition and in need of an immediate 

operation, he would be rash to acquiesce 
without going into the matter as thoroughly as possible, 
for any operation, from the slightest to the most serious, 
may and generally does leave an irreparable injury, no 
matter what may be said to the contrary. A prudent, 
considerate man will take no single person's word for such 
a condition. The diagnosis may be wrong, as it often is. 
The man will call in another expert, and still more ex- 
perts, each without the knowledge of the others. He will 
be almost sure to find remarkable and disturbing dis- 
agreements. 

There are, of course, obviously urgent 
If Condition conditions demanding the promptest 
Critical attention. Common sense and usual 

means of information will guide him in 
visibly critical situations, and he will summon assistance 
immediately. If the condition is clearly not critical, let 
him apply to the nearest Viavi office for an application 
blank, fill it out carefully and return it. He may or may 
not — depending on the condition shown by the applica- 
tion — receive hopeful and helpful suggestions based on a 
very extended experience with probably just such cases 
as this one. It would be only prudent for him to do so, 
and he would not surrender his right of decision. He 
never can succeed in transferring his responsibility. 

Many a woman goes to the operating- 
Protection of table in ignorance of the mutilation 
Women contemplated. It is hard to imagine 

her husband or father conniving in 
: i a deception, for he would be as generous to her as to 



A TALK WITH MEN 167 

himself; he would demand a very clear understanding 
of what was contemplated for him if he were in her place. 
Some strong reason must have existed in England for 
the formation of the Society for the Protection of Hospital 
Patients, for it was organized to protect women from un- 
necessary mutilation, and in its appeal to the public it 
cited Dr. Canu's bitter arraignment of the practice of 
ovariotomy in France, where, he said, it had done more 
harm than the Prussian bullets in 1S70. 

Many women themselves, either from 
When Women dread or horror, or from independence 
Refuse of spirit, refuse to submit to an opera- 

tion, preferring to suffer as they are. 
Hundreds, thousands, hearing of the Viavi system of 
treatment as offering some hope to an otherwise hopeless 
condition, have adopted the treatment in spite of having 
been told with the utmost positiveness that nothing what- 
ever existed but an operation to relieve them, and have 
recovered. We hold this evidence and will cheerfully 
present it. In itself alone, without considering the com- 
mon sense of the treatment, it will convince any reason- 
able man or woman. The intelligence and trustworthiness 
of this evidence can be easily ascertained. 

It will occur to a thinking man that 

Why Operations operations are generally resorted to 

Are Urged when ordinary non-surgical treatment 

has failed. But he will ask, Why did 
the treatment fail? Few men realize the extraordinary 
range and extent of operations on women, and the reasons 
dven for them. A reading of the chapters following 
this will enlighten them to some extent, although no at- 
tempt is made to cover the ground completely. It may 
be said in general that under ordinary methods for treating 
the diseases of women, every departure from the normal 
in a woman's condition, no matter how slight, probably 
points to an operation sooner or later, whether necessary 
or not. These range through a large field, including re- 
moval of the breasts, womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries, 



16S VIAVI HYGIENE 

shortening weak and stretched ligaments supporting the 
uterine organs, stitching the womb to the abdominal 
walls, curetting and scarifying the womb, cutting open 
the body to tear adhesions loose, sewing up lacerations 
occurring in childbirth, and so on. 

The foundation for the reputation that 

A Difference in the Yiavi system of treatment enjoys 

Methods was the recovery, under its use, of 

cases that, after long treatment, had 
not recovered under ordinary methods, but had grown 
worse, and finally had reached a development when it was 
announced that only an operation could give relief or 
save life. But it could be relief only; it could not be a cure, 
since it could not reach the cause of the condition which 
produced the apparent necessity for an operation. Under 
the Yiavi system of treatment the cause of the trouble 
is one of the first things aimed at and persistently attacked. 

One of the great aims of the Yiavi 

Prevention of system of treatment is to prevent all 

Operations excuse for advising operations. Two 

points we constantly insist on are that 
even the slightest departures from the normal in the 
functions of a woman's generative system point to a con- 
dition in the course of years in which, from neglect or 
under the ordinary methods of treatment, an operation 
will be urged, and that all excuse for urging it may be 
avoided by adopting the Viavi system of treatment at the 
beginning. The longer the delay, the lower the recupera- 
tive powers. 

The deadly, deluding fascination in an operation is 
two-fold; "it is a quick, deft means to bring about some 
change in the sufferer's condition, and the sufferer's 
expectation is that it will relieve her of trouble, many 
believing pathetically that they will be made as sound 
as in girlhood. That is opposed to all the wisdom and 
processes of Nature. 



A TALK WITH MEN 169 

Suppose that a woman has a fibroid 

How Danger Is tumor of the womb. The chances 

Magnified are a shousand to one that she will be 

told positively that unless it is removed 
it will continue to grow until it kills her, that there is no 
known means for stopping its growth, much less of pro- 
curing its removal by natural means, and that the longer 
the delay in its surgical removal, the weaker the sufferer 
will become and therefore the less able to bear an opera- 
tion. For all *who accept such declarations there is a 
revelation in the chapter on Tumors in this volume. 
Under the ordinary methods of treating tumors, such 
declarations are substantially correct; under the Viavi 
system of treatment, they have been refuted over and 
over. The same is true of ovarian diseases. 

The rational, natural treatment of 

How Men Are women's diseases is slow, but no quick 

Tempted way that is genuine has been found, 

and it is better that recovery should 
be slow. Who could be as patient, devoted and thorough 
in following it as the sufferer herself, with her husband's 
co-operation? Who would be less inclined to give up the 
good fight and yield to the temptation of the knife? 

Many men are financially unable to meet the expense 
of a long-continued attendance. For that reason, rather 
than see no treatment at all given their wives, and with 
hope weakened by seeing no progress toward recovery 
under the treatment employed, they may conclude that 
an operation, even if they thoroughly understand every- 
thing in connection with it — a knowledge that men rarely 
secure — is better than nothing. Yet in reality there 
may be something far better than an operation. 

A reasoning man will reflect that as 

Cancer From operations, even the very few that 

Operations may be really necessary, do not reach 

the cause of the condition for which 

the operation is performed, they cannot be expected to 

cure, and that besides leaving a woman afflicted with that 



170 VIAVI HYGIENE 

unremoved cause, they have irreparably crippled her, 
often to a serious extent. But they may have accom- 
plished something still worse and in addition to those 
two things. Thus, the late Dr. Thomas Keith, of London, 
is reported as saying: "I say deliberately that hysterec- 
tomy" (removal of the womb) "is an operation ,that has 
done more harm than good, and its mortality is out of all 
proportion to the benefits received from the few." This, 
it is explained, is because, principally, of cancer developing 
afterward. 

Dr. Spencer Wells is reported as de- 
Ovariotomy and daring that 36 per cent, of the known 
Cancer causes of death of those who recovered 

from the operation for the removal of 
one or both ovaries was due to development of cancer 
produced by conditions which the operation itself created. 
But this possible sequel of operations by no means covers 
the ground. That can be better learned by reading the 
chapters following this. 

A man's common sense will show him that the most 
advanced authorities who have found operations apparent- 
ly advisable, as a result of the failure of ordinary methods 
of treatment, are near right when they declare that a 
surgeon cannot reasonably expect nor promise anything 
more than relative results; as one of them puts it, "The 
woman will never again be the same well woman she once 
was." 

Every man knows that it is compara- 
Women's Reliance tively easy for men to exercise author- 
on Men ity over women. Therein lies the 
woman's greatest danger and the man's 
frankest opportunity for good or evil. To what extent a 
woman's instinct to yield to masculine assumption of 
superior wisdom and power accounts for the amazing 
extent to which women are mutilated, we leave it to 
thoughtful men to determine. 

A man may reflect that his domination of his wife 
may measure the power of any other dominating influ- 
ence that may be brought to bear on her. We are not 



A TALK WITH MEN 171 

speaking of a cruel domination, but of an assertive au- 
thority. Civil and religious laws place men largely in 
authority over women, but those laws were never intended 
to blunt the natural masculine sense of shielding and 
cherishing. 

If a wife, without her husband's 

The Value of interference, has apparently become 

Instinct reconciled to an operation, he will be 

wise to look very closely into her seem- 
ing acceptance of what she appears to regard as the 
inevitable. Women have courage in ways that find men 
deficient. Where certain exquisite impulses have been 
roused, they will face danger, even death, far more readily 
than men will. A man will not connive blindly in any- 
thing contemplated for his wife that she would naturally 
regard with horror, for she has been given her instincts 
for good purposes, and she cannot violate them as easily 
as she may appear to. A man will see to it that some 
authoritative influence has not placed her in a false 
position and outraged the deepest and truest things in her 
nature. 

He is a wise man who realizes the harm 

Reticence of to a woman that may lie in her beauti- 

Women ful reticence, particularly where a man, 

even a husband, is concerned. That 
alone may keep her silent, even secretive, when there is 
anything wrong, more especially when it concerns that 
part of her being in whMi her natural-sense of modesty 
and concealment has its origin. What is true of a wife 
is much more pronounced in a daughter. It would be 
kind and prudent in a man to see, without any need of 
indelicacy, that such an understanding exists between him 
and his wife, and between her and their daughter, as 
would abolish any danger of harm from the misuse of this 
exquisite trait in women. The daughter who has been 
deprived cf a mother is unfortunate, but surely a man of 
heart and brains can find a way to safeguard his child, for 



172 VIAVI HYGIENE 

his responsibility and his daughter's danger have been 
doubled by the loss of the mother. 

A man may unconsciously be blinded 
Men Are Often and made selfish by the nursing in- 
Blinded stinct, the mother-sense, that all women 

have, and that often leads them to 
make him think entirely of his own condition and com- 
fort and not of their own. To offset that instinct in 
women, men have been given an instinct of chivalry, that 
impulse which leads them to shield the weak, to be 
thoughtful and attentive, and to have a sense of pride in 
all that makes them competent and useful in those ways. 
If men are not blinded, that instinct will lead them aright 
in their bearing toward their wives and daughters. He 
will remember that women are naturally unselfish. 

A man should not permit himself to be 

Women Underrate persuaded, even by his wife, that some 

Symptoms slight unnatural discharge or pain or 

irregularity or displacement, or other 
seemingly trivial departure from the normal, is nothing 
to worry over and that it will soon pass away. He may 
be assured that it will not soon pass away, and he should 
very positively inform himself as to whether favorable 
progress is being made under any treatment employed. 
As a rule, men are more thorough and interested in getting 
at the bottom of facts and reasons than women are. An 
instructive difference is often seen in the ways in which 
men and women act when the Viavi system of treatment 
is being explained to them. A man listens with intense 
concentration, and asks questions that go straight to the 
reasons and the proofs. A woman is not always so thor- 
ough. This difference is by no means universal, but is 
sufficiently extensive to indicate the difference in the life- 
training that the sexes usually have, and to Explain our 
wish always to see the man of the family and be assured 
of his understanding as to natural laws and the relation of 
the Viavi system of treatment to them, and to feel an 
anchorage in his co-operation with his wife in the use of 
the treatment. 



A TALK WITH MEN 173 

A man should remember that as a rule, 

Men's Instinct and for many reasons, women do not 

for Health place on health the value that men do. 

A man's excess of vigor is a natural 
endowment, given because of his harder, more hazard- 
ous work in life. Any ailment that cripples his powers 
frets him and is an obstacle that he promptly sets himself 
to overcome, that he may live his life and do his work. 
In women that instinct is comparative] v weak. It is all 
the more reason why a man should exercise a jealous 
watchfulness over the health of his wife and daughters. 
He will disabuse their minds of the ruinous vanity which 
may make them believe that endurance of suffering 
is a woman's portion and a measure of her character. 

He will as promptly correct their dis- 
Concealment in astrous unselfishness which may lead 
Women them to conceal from him afflictions 

• that they bear and sufferings that they 
endure. He will assure them that it is his right to know, 
to understand, to help. A man suffers a serious loss 
when he is deprived of that right, a more serious loss than 
many women could be made to believe. Some women 
do not like to bother with a slow treatment that w<;,rks 
on natural lines to secure a return of natural conditions, 
and hence are often easily convinced that there is some 
short cut. Most women are very busy in one way or 
another, and they cannot readily readjust their duties 
and time to do what is essential to real recovery. In that 
respect alone a man's co-operation is of the greatest value, 
for his whole training is to find a way. 

A man who goes about seeking advice 
Great Value of other than from his enlightened corn- 
Independence mon sense and his sense of personal 
responsibility may have an experience 
similar to that of a bright woman journalist as she once 
told us of it. "It happened," she said, "that all the staff 
people who knew about art were away and that no com- 
petent person outside could be secured, yet a certain 



174 VIAVI HYGIENE 

exhibition of paintings had to be properly handled for 
the paper. I was ordered to handle it, and my protests 
that I knew nothing about art, and that my critique 
would make the paper ridiculous, went for nothing. 
'You have intelligence and common sense/ said the editor. 
'They will take you through.' But I doubted, and so I 
went to a skillful artist, and he kindly went over the col- 
lection with me and greatly enlightened me — except that 
he condemned some paintings that I thought were good. 
I was not satisfied, and appealed to another equally 
capable artist, and he went directly opposite to the first 
one. I w r ent to a third. He had a still different slant. 
Then in despair I wrote just what I myself thought about 
the pictures, forgetting all that the artists had told me. 
I handed in the criticism with much dread, but it was pub- 
lished, and my breath was taken away when I learned 
that on every hand the critique w T as regarded as the best 
the paper had published in a long time. It taught me a 
lesson/' she concluded. 

Two features of the Viavi system of 

Broad Effects treatment will appeal with special 

on Women force to the common sense of a man. 

One is that it is a home treatment, 
employed in privacy by a woman herself, and the other 
is that she is compelled to do herself the important things 
toward her recovery. Some women do not like pub- 
licity, some sacrifice a great deal in submitting to treat- 
ment by others. More important is the intelligence that a 
woman acquires in employing the treatment herself, the 
responsibility for health and its value that she develops, 
her building up of her recuperative powers by learning 
the vital relation between conduct and health, the growth 
of her power from knowing what Nature can and must do 
in curing disease if anything at all is done, and the con- 
sequent use by her of sensible means at her own command 
to secure and retain health for herself and for the others 
of the home. 

All of this brings about a wholesome development 
of character impossible under a different method. This is 



A TALK WITH MEN 175 

reflected in many ways — in. wisdom regarding the bearing 
and rearing of children, and an enlarged competency in 
all the ways that make a wife her husband's helpmate. 
It would make instructive reading if we could publish 
the changes for the better that have come over the house- 
holds in which the Viavi system of treatment had become 
a friend. But any man will be able to see for himself 
how such results had to come. 

A distinctive feature of the Viavi 
Ignorant Use system of treatment is that its adoption 
Discouraged by those wishing it is carefully safe- 
guarded. It will be seen that one of 
the main purposes of this volume is to give women a 
knowledge of themselves and their condition. After they 
have informed themselves and arrived at a decision to 
adopt the treatment, they are requested to fill out and 
send to the nearest Viavi office an application blank, in 
which their condition is set forth. The office determines 
from this what form of the Viavi system of treatment 
the condition demands, or whether the conditions in- 
dicate that they come within the range of the treatment; 
if not, the treatment is not furnished. 

Thus the applicant has taken the first step in the 
self-knowledge that is so essential to health, and in 
deciding to adopt the treatment her sense of responsi- 
bility for her health — another essential — has been born. 
Both of these powerful forces making for health are denied 
women under the ordinary method of treatment. The 
knowledge with which the user starts increases day by 
day with the use of the treatment, together with a sense 
of responsibility, which attaches to her throughout the 
treatment. 

Men know the value of co-operation. 

Two Are Better They see the great power of corpora- 

Than One tions and trades unions. They realize 

that this power has two elements that 

an individual cannot have — first, the physical power of 

massed individuals and of wealth and of the means for 

producing wealth; second, and more important, the mass- 



176 VIAVI HYGIENE 

ing of moral and mental power. In its simplest form the 
value of co-operation is expressed in the old saw that two 
heads are better than one. Women are beginning to real- 
ize this power of organization, which is a massing and mul- 
tiplication of individual power; they express that under- 
standing in clubs, guilds, charity and reform organiza- 
tions, and many other ways. Co-operation, or partner- 
ship, instead of repressing the individual, expands him; 
he represents and feels an augmented power, and this has a 
developing effect. 

There is nothing more pitiful than a 

Isolation in sick woman alone in her suffering, 

Sickness denied the constant sympathy and 

understanding of some one dear to 
her. It depresses her, weakens her, discourages her. 
When an apparent or a real emergency arises in her con- 
dition, she may in her ignorance under the old method 
of treatment be unduly alarmed or not know that her 
condition demands prompt attention. If she understands, 
as she likely will under the Viavi system of treatment, 
those dangers may be averted, but far more important to 
her would be the understanding and co-operation of her 
husband. That is only one of the many ways in which 
co-operation would have a priceless value. 

The sense of loneliness, of isolation, of depression, 
that women have who suffer from diseases peculiar to 
women, tends strongly to drive them to remedial assist- 
ance that they would otherwise shun, simply to get hu- 
man sympathy and understanding, which a sick woman 
needs very much. Her husband would prefer that she 
had his to anybody else's, and if intelligent, it would be 
more valuable. 

Appended to the description of the 
Benefits Are diseases coming within the range of the 
Individual Viavi system of treatment, in this 
volume, are directions for the treatment 
of those diseases as they are usually found in their wide 
variations. But any individual case may present excep- 
tional features, and readier benefits might be secured if 



A TALK WITH MEN 177 

the nearest Viavi office were kept regularly informed as 
to conditions and changes. . Women denied the co-opera- 
tion of their husbands may neglect writing. Some, with 
mistaken unselfishness, may wish to avoid giving trouble 
or appearing childish. Such mistakes rarely or never 
occur where the husband or father exercises an intelli- 
gent co-operation. We wish to hear regularly from every 
person using the treatment, no matter though the progress 
is perfectly satisfying, and we gladly incur the heavy 
expense required by such correspondence. We wish 
above all things that every one employing the treatment 
should receive the best possible benefits, without lessening 
the sense of sole responsibility that users assume in adopt- 
ing the treatment. 

Defective children and childless and 

Broken Homes disrupted marriages are generally symp- 

Explained toms of something wrong, morally, 

mentally or physically, in one or both 
parties to the marriage. If either the mind or the body is 
ailing, the other is likely to be, and the morals, thus handi- 
capped, must suffer to some extent. It is an instructive 
coincidence that divorce, and the number of morally, 
mentally, or physically defective children, are steadily 
increasing with the advancing prevalence of diseases 
peculiar to women, and of surgery as the chief reliance 
in their treatment. All of these conditions must be ex- 
pected, and are clearly chargeable to popular ignorance 
concerning the principles governing the perpetuation of 
the race. Marriage is not a mere mating of animals; it 
is a complex relation, requiring many fine adjustments, 
which are natural and easy for normal persons, but- 
difficult for those who are not. As marriage is a normal 
step in Nature's great onward march, it would obviously 
be pleasant if its conditions were normal. Knowledge 
means health, and health based on knowledge will almost 
invariably assure marriage stability and normal children. 
A married couple are designed to be the two halves of a 
whole; but the whole does not truly exist unless its halves 
are perfect. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



EDUCATION DESIRED 

TWO important principles lie at the foundation of 
the Viavi health movement. One is that as 
ignorance of Nature's laws is the most prolific 
cause of disease, this movement aims to furnish 
the knowledge that people are seeking; the other, that 
as women are the greatest sufferers, and as their diseases 
have the most far-reaching effect, they should receive 
special consideration. 

. It is wrong to assume that women should remain 
ignorant of matters vital ,to their welfare. Contrary to 
the old belief, they readily grasp the laws of their being, 
are eager to know and understand them, and to apply 
them when learned. With a proper understanding, 
they know not only how to avoid suffering, but how to 
bring up their daughters wisely, keeping them from the 
errors which cause wretchedness in after life. For 
centuries it has been the custom of women to remain in 
ignorance of their physical being, particularly the most 
important of all, their reproductive being. It is a whole- 
some sign that this vital subject should now be regarded 
as one of the things to be understood, not as something 
to be ashamed of. It is both a woman's right and her 
duty to understand these things. When she does, her 
conscience may be depended on for a wise discharge 
of her duty. 

Evils arising from ignorance of Nature's 

Some Results of laws are seen on every hand. Often 

Ignorance at the time of life when a young girl 

most needs the kindly guidance of a 

mother she is wholly neglected, with the result that, 

frightened, or filled with shame at the wonderful change 



EDUCATION DESIRED 179 

that leads her from childhood to womanhood, she does 
some irrational thing that fills her life with suffering. 

Young women enter matrimony while physically 
unfitted to do so, and ignorant of the simplest philosophy 
of the marriage relation. As a consequence, many lead 
lives varying from ordinary pain to unendurable anguish, 
thus unwittingly casting a cloud upon their homes, 
loading their husbands with mental and financial bur- 
dens, and, if they bear children, starting a new generation 
of ianorance and suffering. 

At all ages irrational practices are indulged in without 
a knowledge of the harm they will produce, and disease 
is started that will torture the victims throughout their 
lives. 

It has been taken for granted by women that suffer- 
ing must be their lot. 

The prudishness that has been imposed upon women 
acts with even greater force upon men where women are 
concerned. Advanced men have as earnest a desire as 
women to understand these subjects, and there is no 
fact more thoroughly demonstrated than that when the 
matter is comprehended, it is invariably treated by men 
with the reverence it deserves. 

There is a vast difference between 
Need of Better prudishness and true modesty. The 
Knowledge woman who is ashamed to contem- 
plate and understand the wonders of 
her reproductive being, and who avoids the subject as a 
basis for intelligent living, shows a lack of reverence for 
the .most sacred of the Creator's works and designs. The 
Viavi movement aims to enlarge her understanding, and 
to show her the consequences of ignorance and the 
blessings and power of knowledge. In doing this through- 
out these pages we shall employ sufficient directness to 
leave no doubt, and at the same time treat the subject 
with that delicacy and reverence which a matter so 
beautiful and vital should receive at the hands of the 
intelligent. Such a treatment of the subject will be as 
refining, as ennobling and as instructive in the case of 



ISO VIA VI HYGIENE 

young girls as in that of married women, for the mission 
of this work would be incomplete did it fail to meet the 
needs of women and girls of all ages and stations. With 
this book a mother can teach her daughter the beautiful 
truths of life, and thus avert the . wretchedness that 
ignorance so often entails. There is no confidence so 
holy as that between mother and daughter, and it should 
be cherished by the mother with unfailing solicitude. 
This volume should be employed by mothers to cement 
that relation and to secure for both the knowledge so 
necessary to them. Those who study the subject acquire 
respect for it. In all the range of moral forces none 
exists that has a more purifying and uplifting influence, 
or that reaches deeper into the true womanliness of 
women. It is in such a spirit that this book is written. 

One of the most important needs and uses of this 
knowledge is the protection that it gives women in the 
form of their ability to have something intelligent to say 
when they are advised that some radical or mutilating 
measure is proposed as the only means for securing relief. 

Many even of the best mothers find it 

How To Teach difficult to discuss with their young 

Daughters daughters the subject of reproduction. 

The difficulties are not real. Long 
before the child approaches puberty she should be 
gradually taught the beautiful mystery of reproduction 
of species. Every living thing has its origin in sex. The 
blossoms that we love so much contain the sexual organs 
of the plants that bear them. Both sexes are represented 
in some plants, while in others some are male and others 
female. By their pollen, carried by insects or the wind, 
fertilization takes place on the same principle as in human 
beings. In the female flower are ovules corresponding to 
the eggs or ova in the ovaries of a woman, and when they 
are fertilized by the male principle, the pollen, they develop 
into seeds; these, when they are ripe, will produce after 
their kind. Is there any cause for shame in that knowl- 
edge? Nature will be found to abound in illustrations of 
the sex function in human beings, and a child at a very 



EDUCATION DESIRED 181 

early age should be gradually brought to understand the 
beautiful principle. It is a mother's duty to inform her- 
self on these subjects, in order that she may impart her 
knowledge to her young daughter. 

If the mother herself does not instruct 

A Mother Should her daughter, the knowledge will be 

Instruct acquired in some other way, and we 

may be sure that it will not be the best 
way. The child will naturally reason that as her mother 
did not inform her, the subject was a forbidden one. 
This will have a tendency to awaken unhealthy thoughts 
in the budding mind. The mother should be the one to 
teach the daughter, and in teaching her she should 
inculcate an idea of the sacredness of the subject. Evil 
is not natural to the mind of the cnild; it is usually sug- 
gested by some older person. Therein lies the danger of 
the child's getting an evil conception of a beautiful truth. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 

THE delicacy of the feminine organization is mani- 
fest in early childhood, and becomes conspicuous 
at the time when the child blossoms into woman- 
hood. Boys are never spoken of as "blossoming" 
into manhood. The little girl is indeed a dainty flower- 
bud, and upon the manner of her blossoming depends the 
beauty and value of the full-blown flower. Shall the 
rose, from ignorance*or neglect in its care at the time of 
unfolding, be pale, sickly and stunted, or shall it open its 
velvety petals in richness of color and perfection of form? 

In even an early state of fetal life we 
Sex Has Early find the organs of generation. At this 
Origin stage the ovaries are bound and pro- 

tected in the region of the kidneys. 
As the fetus approaches maturity they descend to the 
position they are to occupy permanently. They are 
said to contain at birth, in a rudimentary state, all the 
eggs that they will ever have. Even after birth they 
will remain undeveloped twelve or fourteen years; then 
puberty comes and works a wonderful change. 

The child is a perfect human being in every way save 
that of the reproductive powers. The brain centers con- 
trolling the development and function of the generative 
organs are present and healthy, but are inactive; their 
day has not yet arrived. But in good time, from the 
twelfth to the fourteenth year, sometimes earlier, some- 
times later, the current of nutritious blood to. them opens 
up, bringing food and strength. The centers develop, 
and the nerves leading from them to the generative 
system awaken to their duties. The blood supply of 
the generative organs is increased, the organs develop, 
and the child becomes a woman. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 183 

Meanwhile, other wonderful processes, 
Growth of the preparatory to this, have been going 
Infant on. At first the infant lies helpless in 

its mother's arms. Where is the 
mother who has not watched the baby face change day 
by day as it was marked by the development of intelli- 
gence? First she observed the infant's discovery of its 
sense of touch. She found it caressing her face with its 
baby hand. Then would come its exclamations of satis- 
faction, safety and content as it would nestle in her 
arms, enjoying warmth, love and security there. She 
sees it carry everything to its mouth, to test it by the 
touch of lip and tongue. She sees the sense of sight 
come into play in the process of this examination, as the 
child critically regards everything that it brings to its 
mouth. She sees the wonder and interest that it mani- 
fests when placed at the window to look out upon the 
great world of which in time it will become a part. She 
sees it begin to creep, impelled by the forces hidden 
within it and urging it on. She observes it gradually 
come to the erect posture, and suffer the innumerable 
falls and other minor accidents that form part of the 
great scheme of life. She notes the persistency with 
which it labors to master the art of walking, and with 
what ingenuity it uses her gown or the table or a chair 
for support. 

The child, at last able to run about, 

Uses of Surplus shows a vast amount of surplus energy. 

Energy Lmless we understand we wonder why 

it does so many unnecessary things, 

why it works so hard to accomplish nothing useful, why 

it is so noisy, why it so dearly loves freedom, why it 

instinctively prefers sound, healthy, cheerful people to 

those who are ill ancl morose and nervous, and why it 

does all the thousands of seemingly foolish things that 

make up the life of childhood. The wisest of Nature's 

purposes resides behind every act. Surplus energy is 

given in order that by expendino- it the muscles and bones 

may be developed and hardened, the blood kept actively 

in circulation, the organs made to work to their full 



184 VIAVI HYGIENE 

capacity, and every other foundation laid for a 
vigorous life. 

To repress these tendencies is to load 

The Danger of the child with a burden under which it 

Repression will labor to the end. To deny it any 

of the kindness and affection which it 
craves is to prevent proper development of the finer and 
higher side of its nature, and permit the lower side to 
gain ascendency. Weak, suffering and nervous mothers, 
for all their love, have done more to cripple the lives of 
their children than all the forces that will come into play 
in later years can do. And back of the harm thus done 
is that represented by the ill health of the mother before 
bringing her child into the world. Women have been 
actually advised to have children as a cure for their 
ailments. It is assuming a terrible responsibility to 
advise a woman to secure her own comfort at the sacrifice 
of the happiness of the life to which she gives birth. 

During all the years of childhood, the 
The Mind Also development is proceeding. Play and 
Developing romping assure the physical develop- 
ment of the little life, provided that 
its food, sleeping and natural functions receive intelligent 
care. If not, the penalty will be paid — there is never any 
escape from punishment for infractions of Nature's laws. 
Along with the bodily growth has come that of the 
affections, from the love which the parents bestow. The 
one remaining part of the child's nature, the mental, also 
has been growing at a prodigious rate. Every act of its 
life has taught it something, has added strength and ex- 
perience and wisdom to some function of its brain. The 
co-ordinating faculties of the brain have marched abreast 
with the others. With all this comes the training of its 
higher mental qualities in the schoolroom. 

But there comes a time when a great 

A New Existence and wonderful change takes place, with 

Is Begun far more rapidity than any hitherto. 

We have seen the girl playing and 

romping with her schoolmates, in utter unconsciousness 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 185 

of the destiny awaiting her. She has never troubled her 
head over the nature of love and marriage, though these 
were familiar phenomena. The only difference she had 
observed between the boys and girls who were her com- 
panions was that the boys were rougher and coarser and 
louder than the girls. She naturally preferred the com- 
panionship of girls, because they, like herself , were dain- 
tier and gentler. Her openness and frankness were notice- 
able. She could spend more energy in running and playing 
in a day than a grown person could thus give in a year. 

Presently there is an inclination not to be so much of 
a romp; Nature is making a call on her vitality for a pur- 
pose higher than childish play. A wistfulness in her 
glance shows that the higher mysteries and beauties of 
life are unfolding. She grows quieter and gentler. A 
touch of the softness and repose of womanhood has come 
into her bearing. To her the girls and bo} T s of her ac- 
quaintances take on a strangely diverging aspect. Ro- 
mance is kindled. She finds beauties that she had never 
seen before. Poetry opens up fountains within her 
whose existence she had never imagined. In her dreamy 
moments she thinks of some wonderful hero who will come 
into her life. She has ceased to be a child. 

Important physical changes have kept 
The Physical abreast with this development. Within 
Development the secret laboratory of her nature the 
miracle has been worked. The brain 
centers have developed, the organs of generation have 
asserted their presence and purpose. One of the many 
rudimentary eggs in the ovaries has ripened, accompanied 
by the first menstruation. Thus has the baby finally 
arrived at puberty. For about thirty-two years this con- 
dition will continue. 

It is at this time that a girl needs 

A Critical Time all the love and care that a mother can 

of Life bestow. Serious dangers, which any 

mother can understand, now lie in 

wait fur her. The girl is bound to learn; the strong new 



186 VIA VI HYGIENE 

force within her kindles a curiosity and creates a demand 
for knowledge. If she does not learn from her mother, 
she will from some other source, and thus acquire likely 
distorted and unwholesome ideas. Before puberty has 
arrived, the mother should take her daughter kindly in 
hand, and by patient and frequent instruction teach her 
the laws that are about to be brought to bear upon her, 
and strengthen her for their observance. * The most 
disastrous results have followed the neglect of this essen- 
tial duty. It is an infinite reproach to the mother that 
the daughter should discover herself a woman and feel 
shame or alarm for her condition. 

One of our prominent aims since found- 

A Great Modern ing the Viavi movement, nearly a 

Awakening quarter of a century ago, has been to 

educate parents in the laws of repro- 
duction and to urge upon them the vital need of instruc- 
tion of their children in those laws, that they may escape 
the terrible dangers of ignorance concerning them. To 
what extent this persistent work through the years has 
awakened the public intelligence and conscience we may 
leave to others to determine.' In 1907 the Bishop of 
London visited America, and became intensely interested 
in the rapidly growing movement for parental instruction 
of children in these matters. On returning to England, he 
called together a number of leading men and announced 
that he was going to make a crusade against this hurtful 
withholding by parents from children of the things that 
children should know. He thereupon arranged for a large 
number of meetings and is reported to have said: "I 
am now convinced that the uplifting of the morality of 
our people lies, above all and everything else, in educating 
the children, rationally and morally. I believe that more 
evil has been done by the squeamishness of parents who 
are afraid to instruct their children in the vital facts of 
life, than by all the other agencies of vice put together. 
I am determined to overcome this obstacle to national 
morality. I have not the slightest hesitation in saying 
that the right way has been found at last. . . . There 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 187 

shall be plain talking; the time has gone by for whispers 
and paraphrases. Boys and girls must be told what these 
great vital facts of life mean, and they must be given the 
proper knowledge of their bodies and the proper care of 
them. Xo abstractions; the only way now is to be frank, 
man to man.'! 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



THE GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN 

THE delicate internal generative organs of women — 
the vagina, womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries — 
are, together with the bladder and rectum, 
packed in a basin, the pelvis, a bony structure 
of great strength and composed of several bones rigidly 
bound together. The pelvis supports the spine above it 
and is joined with the hip bones from below. A woman's 
pelvis is larger than a man's, and has a larger opening 
in its floor, to permit of pregnancy and the passage of 
the child. The pelvic bones do not separate in childbirth, 
as is generally thought, but the coccyx, terminating the 
spine, bends back at that time. The pelvis is lined with 
muscular tissue, thus forming the strong, elastic muscular 
floor. This has an opening through which the vagina, 
urethra and rectum pass. The muscular abdominal 
walls are attached to the pelvis. 

The true pelvis is the smaller, or lower 

Characteristics of part, and the false pelvis is the larger, 

the Pelvis or upper part, of the basin. The bowels 

fill the upper part and the abdomen, 

and rest on the contents of the true pelvis. Tight lacing 

or improper sitting or heavy skirts press the bowels down 

on the sensitive organs, to their injury. 

The abdominal walls assist in the support of the pelvic 
contents, which suffer harm when these walls are weaken- 
ed by cutting or by improper care during and after preg- 
nancy. 

Numerous nerves and blood vessels pass through the 
pelvis to the legs. We shall see later how this explains 
the causes of some affections of the legs from uterine 



GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN 189 

* 
The space between the anus and the vaginal orifice is 
the perineum, which is often ruptured in childbirth if the 
tissues lack the tone and elasticity of health. 

The vagina 'extends upward, with a 
Arrangement of backward slant, from the external 
Organs orifice to the neck of the womb (cervix), 

to which it is attached. The uterus 
(womb) rises above the vagina, its neck downward, its 
larger end upward and leaning forward, partly over the 
bladder. Opening into the upper end, or fundus, of the 
uterus are the two Fallopian tubes, one on each side. 
They extend laterally and over the ovaries, and termi- 
nate in a down-hanging fringe over the outer ends of the 
ovaries. Each of the two ovaries is suspended under 
these tubes. The finger placed on the abdomen about 
three inches from the median line and about two inches 
above the groin will be about over the ovary. 

The bladder lies between the front abdominal wall and 
the upper part of the vagina and lower part of the uterus. 
From it the urethra runs down the outer front wall of the 
vagina and terminates immediately above the vaginal 
orifice. 

The rectum fills the space between the uterus and va- 
gina and the back wall of the pelvis. 

The vagina is a highly elastic tube, 

Description of the extending from the vulva to the uterus. 

Vagina Its front and back walls lie in contact, 

and curve backward, following the 
course of the rectum, the posterior wall of the vagina 
forming the anterior wall of the rectum. The vagina, 
like other organs, varies in size and length in different 
individuals. Being curved, the front wall is about three 
and one-half to four inches, the posterior wall from five 
and one-half to six inches in length. The upper end of the 
vagina is attached to the neck of the womb, which pro- 
trudes into the vagina about three-fourths of an inch. 
The vagina is lined with mucous membrane and is sup- 
plied with numerous little mucous glands. In some 
abnormal conditions, large quantities of secretions are 



190 VIAVI HYGIENE 

poured forth, which will be discussed when we come to 
the subject of leucorrhea. 

In the virgin there is a membranous fold, or curtain, 
called the hymen, which partially closes the vagina at the 
orifice. Through a small opening in it the menstrual 
flow passes, but in rare instances there is no opening, and 
the flow cannot escape. In such cases the hymen should 
be perforated by a physician. 

The presence of the hymen does not necessarily in- 
dicate virginity, as a fragile hymen may be ruptured in 
childhood or later by numerous innocent causes, skipping 
the rope being among them. It may also be ruptured in 
an examination. 

The uterus is pear-shaped. Its length, 
The Uterus and including the cervix, is about three 
the Tubes inches. In the virgin it weighs about 
one and a half ounces; in those who 
have borne children it weighs from three to four ounces. 
Its walls are composed pf muscles ingeniously crossed 
and overlapped, permitting of great distension in preg- 
nancy. It is flattened front and back, the thickness being 
about an inch and the breadth about two inches. It is 
lined with a mucous membrane called the endometrium. 
The cavity, extending -from the cervix to the fundus, is 
very small, widening slightly towards the fundus. The 
cavity is triangular. At the upper points of this triangle 
are the openings of the Fallopian tubes. The outside 
of the body of the womb is covered with the peritoneum, 
which lines the entire abdomen and envelopes its contents. 

The cervix is kept closed by two constrictions, the 
inner and outer, and is provided with a number of minute 
glands which pour out a colorless secretion. 

The Fallopian tubes are about four inches in length. 
Their purpose is to carry the eggs (ova) from the ovaries 
to the womb. Their walls are muscular, the tissues being 
continuous with those of the womb. They open into the 
womb with a trumpet-shaped mouth; then for a distance 
have an opening so small as barely to take a bristle, and 
at the ovarian ends terminate in a fringe, or a number 



GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN 191 

of slender fingers, overhanging the ovaries. The purpose 
of these is to seize the ovum when it bursts out of the 
ovary, and convey it to the womb. To facilitate this, the 
tube is provided with minute hair-like processes, which 
possess the power of pushing the ovum along. 

With what marvelous ingenuity the 

Wonders of the ovaries have been constructed, and 

Ovaries how carefully they are guarded! As 

the womb is the cradle in which the 

egs:, after impregnation, is developed into a human life, 

so the ovaries are the nest in which the eggs are stored. 

These organs are about the size and shape of an 
almond; they are the central influence of a woman's organ- 
ization; they determine her sex, her womanliness. With- 
out them, a woman is deprived of her most precious gift. 

Each egg (they number many thousands) occupies a 
little cavity, or follicle, of its own in the ovary, and each 
follicle has its blood supply and nerves separate from 
that of the others. 

At every menstruation, an egg ripens, bursts through 
the thin covering of one of the ovaries, is caught up by 
the fingers of the Fallopian tube, and is then sent through 
the tube to the womb. If it has been impregnated it re- 
mains quiet for a few days while a nest is being prepared for 
it in the womb from the lining membrane, and in which it 
lodges upon escaping from the Fallopian tube, and there 
develops into a child. If not impregnated, it passes away. 
It is thought by some that the ovaries alternate with each 
other in ripening an egg at every menstruation. Many of 
the rudimentary e^irs never develop in the ovary. When 
all that Nature designs to be used have ripened and been 
cast out, the climacteric (change of life), together with a 
cessation of the menses, occurs, and the child-bearing 
period is at an end. 

The womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries 

Support of the would lie helpless on the floor of the 

Organs pelvis were it not for an ingenious 

arrangement of ligaments to hold them 

in place and give them the freedom and ease that i 



192 VIAVI HYGIENE 

require; and here again we see the wonderful provision 
that Nature has made for the care of these organs. 

The peritoneum, lining the abdomen and covering 
the abdominal and pelvic organs, is pearl-colored and 
slippery, and with its prolongations assists in holding 
the generative organs in place and presenting them with 
a smooth surface, which prevents friction from their 
rubbing together. It covers the upper part of the womb, 
completely enveloping the Fallopian tubes and ovaries. 
As it dips down in front and back of these organs, it forms 
two folds, enveloping the organs and forming the liga- 
ments which hold them in place. These supports are so 
arranged that two ligaments run from the womb to the 
bladder, and from the bladder to the walls of the abdomen. 
One fold envelopes the womb, Fallopian tubes and ovary 
on each side, thence passing to the walls of the pelvis and 
upward. Two folds from the womb dip backward, and, en- 
circling the rectum, pass upward, lining the small of 
the back. 

Thus the womb, Fallopian tubes and 
Organs Are Free ovaries are suspended in a swing and 
To Move held with guy ropes. The organs are 

thus enabled to move forward, back- 
ward or sideways a little, but the space in which they are 
held is small, and hence the movement is limited. We 
notice, looking down upon the top of the womb, that the 
peritoneum dips down between the ligaments supporting 
the womb, and forms a pouch between the rectum and 
womb. This extends down the rectum, and for about a 
quarter the length of the vagina. Below that point the 
back wall of the vagina and the front wall of the rectum 
are virtually one. 

In front of the womb, between the vagina and the 
bladder, there is another dipping down of the peritoneum 
for a distance, but below that point the front wall of the 
vagina and the posterior walls of the bladder and urethra 
are virtually one. The reader should impress this arrange- 
ment on the mind, as it explains many conditions and has 
an important bearing on the philosophy of the Viavi 



GENERATIVE ORGANS OF WOMEN 193 

system of treatment and the changes accompanying its use. 
The rectum begins a little behind the 

Close Relation left ovary, the S-like turn between it 
of Parts and the colon being immediately behind 

that ovary. This explains to many 
sufferers from ovarian troubles why a movement of the 
bowels or gas in them produces pain in the left ovary by 
pressure from the bowel. If the womb tips back, as in 
retroversion, it partially closes the rectum, producing 
constipation, hemorrhoids, tumors, etc., and injuring the 
system by forcing it to retain the matter of which it is 
trying to rid itself. 

The mucous membrane lining the bladder is continu- 
ous with that of the urethra, which at its orifice unites 
with the mucous membrane of the vaginal orifice, and 
hence with that of the vagina, uterus, etc. 

The intimate relation among the parts explains many 
symptoms. Inflammation starting in the mucous mem- 
brane of any of these organs is likely to spread to the 
others with which the membrane connects. Again, when 
the womb unnaturally tips forward, as in anteversion, 
it rests on the bladder, provoking inflammation, which 
will likely spread. If it rests on the ureters, the ducts 
which convey the urine from the kidneys to the bladder, 
it checks the free passage of the urine to the bladder, 
tending to produce disease in the kidneys. 

The blood supply of the generative 

Blood Supply of organs is an exceedingly interesting 

the Organs subject, for we find here conditions 

existing nowhere else in the body and 
explaining the peculiar nature of uterine diseases and 
the action of the Viavi system of treatment in assisting 
Nature to cure them. A general idea of the circulation 
has been given in a previous chapter, in which it was 
shown that valves occur in veins. The peculiarity of the 
veins in the uterine organs is that they have no valves to 
prevent the return flow of venous blood. As a conse- 
quence, the blood of one organ freely mingles with that of 
another. In the muscular tissue of the womb, the blood 



194 VIA VI HYGIENE 

vessels are exceedingly tortuous, so that when the womb 
increases in size during pregnancy, the blood vessels are 
stretched out; if they were not crooked they would 
rupture. Therefore in the unimpregnated womb we find 
spaces occupied by arteries, which are small lakes of blood. 
Hence the liability to a congestion of blood there. 

The base of. the brain has the government of these 
organs. This explains in a measure the origin of those 
headaches at the base of the brain which women are so 
liable to, and which may extend to other parts of the head. 

The high organization and supreme 

Nerves of the value and usefulness of the generative 

Organs organs mean an elaborate system of 

nerves for them. Behind the womb, 
covering the face of the sacrum, or rear wall of the pelvis, 
is an exquisite network of nerves, outrivaling in intricacy 
the most elaborate design in lace. From the nerve centers, 
fibers run in every direction throughout the generative 
region, and from these organs are fibers which unite 
with great branches entering the spinal cord and thus 
running to the brain. There are also chains of nerves 
connecting the organs with the nerve centers of the ab- 
domen. So the nerves of these organs not only communi- 
cate with the brain directly, but also with the motor, 
sensory and sympathetic systems of the entire organism. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



MENSTRUATION 

IN THIS chapter we shall discuss normal menstruation^ 
chapters immediately following will be devoted to 
the anomalies of menstruation. 

Menstruation is the flow of the menses, a period- 
ical function of a woman's generative system, consisting 
of a bloody discharge from the uterus, recurring as a. rule 
every four weeks, and continuing on an average four days. 
It begins with puberty and ends at the change of life, 
thus covering a period of about thirty-two years, though 
varying with races, climates and individuals. 

Menstruation is a natural function, 

Is a Natural necessary to a woman's organism dur- 

Function ing the child-bearing period. As it is 

a natural function, it is painless if 
normal. If it is painful, an abnormal condition exists. 
Menstrual anomalies are so frequent that this function is 
often called "the monthly sickness." The importance of 
the regular and painless appearances of the menses can- 
not be too strongly impressed upon a woman's mind. A 
woman should understand the entire generative functions, 
else she is not properly fitted to assume the duties of. 
wifehood or motherhood. 

Truly it has been said that "the fate of the Nation lies 
within the hollow of a woman's hand," because much 
depends upon her intelligence. 

Few women realize that if the monthly periods be 
permitted to remain abnormal, whether scanty, profuse, 
painful or suppressed, they will suffer the consequences 
sooner or later; that they are allowing their bodies, by 
neglect, to become more and more susceptible to disease 
of all kinds; that it will be only a question of time until 



196 VIAVI HYGIENE 

one part after another will give way; they will collapse 
physically and mentally; at the change of life, if not 
before, the penalty will be paid in some form. 

Unless at puberty the generative organs 
Causes of Poor develop fully, menstruation becomes a 

Menstruation menace to health and life. A woman 
scarcely recovers from one menstrual 
sickness before another appears, causing chronic invalid- 
ism. As the generative organs constitute the grand cen- 
ter of a woman's economy, it is essential to perfect health 
that they be not only fully developed, but able to func- 
tionate regularly and painlessly, and be capable of dis- 
posing of the monthly congestion, as the alimentary tract 
disposes of fecal waste, the kidneys of urine, the lungs 
of carbon dioxide, etc. 

Menstruation depends largely upon the nervous sys- 
tem, the same as the functions of other parts. It depends 
also upon the condition of the blood supply, but equally 
as much upon the fully developed and healthy state of 
the entire generative tract, and the intelligent care it 
receives. 

The mother who fully understands what normal 
menstruation depends upon, and how much in turn 
depends upon this function, realizes her great responsi- 
bility. She is alert. She sees to it that her girls come to 
full perfection, that they bloom into perfect womanhood. 
A fully developed woman may suffer from menstrual 
anomalies, brought about by disobeying the laws of 
Nature, but such a woman responds to rational treatment. 
The woman who has been left to come up in a haphazard 
way, who has been permitted to take the most desperate 
risks early in life through ignorance, may not be so for- 
tunate. The hand or foot that is fully developed will 
serve the body much better than a member that has been 
stunted in growth. The same rule holds good in the 
generative tract, but with much more force, as its func- 
tions are so vitally associated with everything that 
makes her a woman. 



MENSTRUATION 197 

The average woman looks upon the 
It Is a Monthly menses as a flow of blood. It should 

Purification be regarded as a discharge of waste 
products from the whole body, as it is 
a monthly purging of the entire circulatory system. 
What healthy woman living but will testify that after a 
normal menstruation comes a sense of purification that is 
experienced at no other time? The inconvenience is 
more than compensated for by this exquisite sense of 
purification that follows. 

The source of the menstrual discharge is the lining of 
the womb, but before the flow can occur the thin layer 
that covers its surface must be cast off. For this pur- 
pose a change in its texture takes place; a fatty degenera- 
tion occurs, by which it is softened, as are also the 
capillaries within its substance. It is due to this change, 
which occurs several days before menstruation, that the 
thin covering of the lining is pushed off, thus uncapping 
the vessels and permitting the menstrual discharge to 
escape into the cavity of the womb. It may now be 
plainly seen how necessary it is that the blood supply be 
normal and that the organs be fully developed. 

Nature has softened, loosened and broken up the 
tissues, so to speak. This is accomplished largely by the 
ovarian and uterine nerves, under whose influence a con- 
traction of the muscular fibers of the womb, tubes, 
ovaries and ligaments occurs, thus retarding or pre- 
venting a return flow of the venous blood from these 
parts; hence the weakened ends of the vessels are uncapped 
and the flow naturally occurs. 

Menstruation appears, as a rule, once 
Women Widely every twenty-eight days, counting from 
Different the beginning of one period to that of 

the next, but every woman is a rule 
unto herself as to the recurrence and duration of her 
periods. A woman may be perfectly normal and men- 
struate fourteen, fifteen and even sixteen times a 
year. These departures from the average do not indi- 
cate abnormality unless disturbances arise, and if so they 



198 VIA VI HYGIENE 

demand immediate attention. If a woman menstruates 
every three weeks regularly and feels perfectly well, and 
l^as so menstruated from the beginning, it is evident that 
this time is peculiar to her, and is natural. 

The duration of the flow also greatly varies, lasting 
from two to eight days. It can be determined as normal 
or abnormal only by its effect upon the organism. 

The quantity discharged at each flow varies in dif- 
ferent individuals from four to eight ounces. The flow 
is more profuse in warm than in cold countries. Striking 
differences appear among women in this particular. We 
often see frail women who menstruate abundantly and 
who do not feel well unless they do, and robust women 
with naturally a very scant flow who become debilitated 
by a slight increase. 

It is important for a woman to know what her natural 
peculiarity is in this regard, as it furnishes a basis upon 
which she can judge the state of her health. It is the 
changes in her own condition, and not what may happen 
to some other woman, that concern her. 

The menstrual flow is a very complex 

Composition of fluid, being composed of blood, the 

the Flow mucous secretion of the uterus and the 

vagina, epithelia and other debris. At 
the commencement the flow is generally pink; at its 
height it resembles arterial blood, and as it ceases it 
gradually becomes rusty in color. It does not coagulate, 
as ordinary blood does, and has an odor peculiar to itself. 
The blood in it comes from the capillaries in the fundus 
of the womb and the uterine end of the Fallopian tubes. 
The mucus is discharged from the proper vessels in the 
lower part of the body of the womb, its neck and the 
vagina. Its purpose seems to be to dilute the other con- 
stituents and make them flow more easily. The solid 
constituents are particles of the disintegrated lining of 
the uterus. If the ovum, or egg, has become impregnated, 
the brain centers become aware of the fact in some mys- 
terious way, so that instead of requiring the uterus to 



MENSTRUATION 199 

cast off its lining, they order a different process, which is 
discussed in the chapter on Pregnancy. 

The forces involved in this monthly 

Great Force Is process are great. The sensibilities of 

Expended all the generative organs are quickened 

to a high point, partly from an unusual 

nerve stimulus sent from the brain, and partly from a 

greatly increased blood supply. Even the ligaments 

supporting the womb, Fallopian tubes and ovaries take 

part in the general process, being considerably congested. 

The strain upon the generative organs is intense, and they 

require perfect health to bear it. If they have such 

health, they easily and painlessly bear the strain and are 

benefited by it, just as the stomach, when healthy, bears 

the strain of the work that it is required to do in digesting 

food, and is made all the healthier and stronger by it. 

The work required of the generative organs in menstru- 
ation is so various and must be done so nicely and precisely 
that derangement is not only easy to bring about, but 
produces serious disorders when it occurs. 

The lining of the womb begins to re-form as soon as it 
is shed. When it is re-formed, the uterine walls no longer 
contract and force the blood out of the capillaries. The 
glands emptying mucus into the generative tract cease 
their activity. A state of quietude comes over the 
entire generative system, and the menstruation is at 
an end for that time. 

Menstruation is rarely free from dis- 

The Diseases of tress. Unless it is perfectly healthy 

Menstruation and painless, a woman is unsound, and 

her vital forces are suffering a drain 

that will sooner or later tell heavily. 

Derangements of menstruation are so numerous and 
serious that they have distinct and formidable names. 
Among them are amenorrhea (absent menstruation); 
menorrhagia, or metrorrhagia (profuse and frequent 
menstruation): dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), 
subdivided into congestive, mechanical, ovarian and 



200 VIAVI HYGIENE 

membranous dysmenorrhea; vicarious menstruation, and 
menstrual anomalies brought about by non-development. 
These will be treated under separate chapters. 

A glance at the three physical con- 

The One Natural ditions upon which normal menstru- 

Treatment ation is based — the nervous system, the 

blood supply and the health of the 
generative organs — will show the peculiar fitness of the 
Viavi system of treatment in assisting Nature to produce 
conditions upon which normal menstruation rests. By 
strengthening the circulation of nutritious blood it has 
brought about naturally an adequate supply of good 
blood to the affected organs through needed help to the 
nerves, thus assisting Nature in restoring the organs to a 
condition of health. The incredible number of women 
annually made permanent victims of narcotics and 
stimulants taken to relieve them temporarily in painful 
menstruation, abundantly attest the failure of former 
efforts to subdue this destructive and almost universal 
evil, and the need of a treatment to assist Nature in restor- 
ing to women their birthright of strength and peace. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 

(dysmenorrhea) 

NEARLY all women suffer pain or unnatural distress 
from menstruation at some time of their lives, and 
may suffer with every menstruation. This invari- 
ably indicates an abnormal condition and repre- 
sents a steady and cumulative drain upon the vital forces. 
Every pain suffered in menstruation takes a definite value 
out of life. Every moment of suffering at that time is 
sapping youth and vitality to a certain extent, hastening 
the approach of age, depleting the mind of its higher and 
stronger qualities, weakening the hold upon the finer 
things of life, impoverishing the spirit, and lowering a 
woman's capacity for wifehood and motherhood. Not 
one woman in a thousand realizes these truths. Most 
women take it for granted that they should suffer at this 
time, either physically or mentally, not reflecting that as 
menstruation is a natural function it should be painless, 
that pain is evidence of disease, and that disease is steadily 
and mercilessly sapping her life. 

Suffering during menstruation has nu- 

Pain Is Always merous manifestations. With some, 

Abnormal pain occurs before the flow begins, and 

disappears when it is established. With 
others, it extends through the second day of the flew. 
Again, it continues throughout the period. In others, 
the first two painful days are followecl by complete relief 
for a time, with a resumption of pain toward the close. 
With some the pain comes suddenly with the flow and 
extends through the whole period, gradually lessening 
toward the close. Some women suffer only when moving 



202 VIAVI HYGIENE 

about, and are relieved upon lying down. Some have 
pains every other month only. 

The seat of the pain varies greatly in different women. 
It may be in any or every part of the abdomen and pelvic 
cavity, with or without backache or headache. In severe 
cases it extends down one or both legs, or up to the waist, 
and even to the armpits. Pain between the periods is 
not often encountered, and is usually difficult to treat. 

In some cases violent pains preceding the period are 
relieved by a gush of blood from the vagina. Then comes 
comparative relief, followed, in a few minutes or an hour 
■or two, by another paroxysm. These are often so severe 
that the sufferer writhes in agony and is often insane for 
a short time. This is seen in many cases when the womb 
is bent, from the passing of the flow through the closure. 

Several kinds of pain may exist in the same case, 
showing that the same sufferer may have several kinds of 
painful menstruation, just as one person may have several 
kinds of headache. 

As in leucorrhea, these abnormalities of menstruation 
are a symptom, not a disease. 

There are often nervous and mental 

. Nervous Ills disturbances of a serious order accom- 

Arising panying painful menstruation. The 

general nervous disturbance may affect 
the digestion or circulation, or the bowels or bladder. 
The mental condition is often distressing. Irritability is 
-common; there is often a desire to withdraw and brood 
alone over imaginary troubles. It is at this time that 
the blues are most likely to come, and this is merely a 
form of melancholia, which in turn is a sort of mental 
•derangement. Among the female inmates of junatic 
asylums there is likely to be a marked increase of mania 
at these periods. It is at such times that women whose 
mental integrity has been shaken by disease are likely to 
do the desperate things that send them to lunatic asylums, 
such as the killing of their children. Suicide among 
women is commonest during the menstrual period. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 203 

We can understand why physical and 

Why Disturbance mental disturbances are so serious 

Is Serious during the menstrual period in the 

absence of perfect health by recalling 
the intimate nervous connection of the generative organs 
with the brain. Not one, but all, of the organs are in- 
volved in any irregularity of menstruation, and hence the 
entire nervous system of these organs affects the sound- 
ness of the entire nervous system of the body. Pain from 
disease drains the recuperative powers of their strength, 
causing deterioration of mental and physical forces. It 
is destructive of rest and sleep, without which the proper 
action of the recuperative forces is impossible. 

The use of sedatives, narcotics and the like necessarily 
aggravates the evil in the long run by lowering the nervous 
vitality and crippling its ability to combat the disease. 
They have for their object the relieving of pain by dead- 
ening the sensibilities. Stimulants have an equally 
injurious effect of another kind — they unduly quicken the 
action of the heart and aggravate congestion. Evidently 
the rational treatment is to establish a normal condition 
throughout the system by natural means, so that the 
system itself shall be enabled to throw off the disease. 
Such has been the process under the Viavi system 
of treatment. Instead of deadening the nerves, or over- 
stimulating them, its aim is to bring nutritious elements to 
the blood and render the circulation able to remove accu- 
mulations occurring in congestion and inflammation. 

The kinds of painful menstruation, with 
Dysmenorrhea in their causes, are as follows: Neuralgic 
Variety dysmenorrhea, in which the pains are 

variable and shifting, and often unbear- 
able. It comes with highly nervous temperaments and 
points to general nervous disorder or weakness. 

Menorrhagia, a profuse flow during the menstrual 
period. 

Metrorrhagia, a hemmorrhage from the womb at any 
time besides during menstruation. 



204 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Congestive dysmenorrhea, in which the painful 
menstruation is caused by an abnormal oversupply of 
blood to the vessels yielding the flow. 

Mechanical dysmenorrhea, in which the painful men- 
struation is caused by some physical obstruction to the 
flow. 

Membranous dysmenorrhea, in which the painful men- 
struation is caused by the lining of the womb not being 
properly shed during menstruation. 

Imperforate hymen and the other causes of painful 
menstruation in young girls, as well as other forms of 
abnormal menstruation in adults, are discussed in separate 
chapters. 

We will now take up the different forms of painful 
menstruation and discuss their character, causes and 
treatment. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM NEURALGIA 

In painful menstruation from neuralgia the pains are 
intermittent, and have the general character of neuralgic 
pains in other parts of the body. The pains are com- 
monest in girls at the age of puberty and in young mar- 
ried women who have not borne children. Pain in such 
cases indicates a diseased condition of the nerves center- 
ing in the uterine organs, and is developed by the great 
disturbance that occurs at the menstrual period. The 
skin of the lower part of the abdomen is highly sensitive 
during the pains. These may appear just before the flow 
begins, and then disappear, or they may persist inter- 
mittently during the period. They are often agonizing, 
rendering the sufferer delirious, and after the cessation of 
the flow she is likely to be prostrated. This form of 
painful menstruation rapidly undermines the system and 
opens the door for some more serious disease, and may 
end in insanity. More cases of destruction of the general 
health occur from this form of painful menstruation than 
from all others combined. 

The pains are not always confined to the pelvic region; 
sometimes they develop into neuralgic headache, facial 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 205 

neuralgia, or neuralgic pains in the teeth, eyes, fingers, 
toes, breasts, stomach, bowels, and even the heart. Or 
the spaces between the ribs (intercostal spaces) may be 
affected. In all such cases the pains generally disappear 
upon a cessation' of the flow; but in some, particularly 
where there is continued irritation of the cervix, from 
laceration or other cause, the remote pains continue 
throughout the month. This fact should be borne in 
mind, for the reason that this secondary neuralgia is 
often treated directly, and therefore to the injury of the 
patient, from overlooking the fact that it has its origin 
in the uterus. 

A constitutional neuralgic disposition 
Many Causes of that manifests itself during menstrua- 
Neuralgia tion may be inherited. If a mother 

has permitted herself to suffer in this 
regard she may expect her daughter to suffer similarly. 
Or the constitutional condition may be developed by an 
impoverished condition of the blood, chlorosis (green 
sickness) in young girls, gout, rheumatism, syphilis, 
malaria and the like. If the general low nervous con- 
dition from any of these causes exists it will give rise to 
neuralgic pains in menstruation. Of course, if there is 
any disease of the generative organs we have a sufficient 
explanation of the general nervous condition that mani- 
fests itself in this affliction. The fact that the generative 
organs have so highly developed a system of nerves, and 
that their condition so easily affects the entire nervous 
system, and that the disturbance caused by menstruation 
is so great, explain the localization of the pains in the 
pelvic region during menstruation. Anything that in- 
duces nervous depression, whether mental or physical, 
may cause neuralgic pains in menstruation. It often runs 
in families, thus showing that it may be hereditary. 

The proper treatment for neuralgic 
Needs a Natural dysmenorrhea is to build up the 
Treatment nervous system. This can be done 
only by natural means. It is impos- 
sible to set any but bad results by resorting to forcing 



206 VIAVI HYGIENE 

methods. So refractory is this form of painful menstrua- 
tion that ordinary methods are helpless in treating it. 
The Viavi system of treatment, on the other hand, has 
enjoyed remarkable success in such cases. The peace 
that followed the removal of this wearing and torturing 
malady was immeasurable, and the thousands of girls 
and women who have thus obtained relief are enjoying life. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM CONGESTION 

Congestive dysmenorrhea is that in which the pain is 
caused by congestion. Natural congestion occurs during 
menstruation, but it is painless, because natural. In 
chronic inflammation, from displacement of the womb, 
or from adhesions following pelvic inflammation, and from 
other causes, we have unnatural congestion, and this 
causes pain during menstruation and frequently between 
the periods. Tumors and polypi in the womb are other 
causes of the congestion. This menstrual difficulty is 
oftenest seen in women who have borne children or have 
aborted, but it occurs also in women who have begun the 
menstrual period and maintained it for some time with- 
out pain. 

The symptoms of painful menstruation 

Symptoms of from congestion are markedly different 

This Form from those of neuralgic dysmenorrhea. 

In congestive dysmenorrhea the pain 
is generally between, as well as before, the periods. It 
most often comes on suddenly with the appearance of the 
flow, and is accompanied with either a diminution or a 
cessation of the flow. It may be slight, or very severe. 
The constitutional symptoms are always marked. The 
pulse is quickened, the temperature rises, the skin is hot 
and dry and the eyes are suffused; the height of the feA^er 
is in proportion to the amount of congestion or inflam- 
mation. There are severe headaches, occasionally de- 
lirium, general restlessness, and a considerable increase 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 207 

of urine. The surface of the entire body is highly sensi- 
tive. Man}- reflex symptoms are experienced, such as 
pains in the small of the back and down the thighs either 
inside or outside. Sometimes the legs lose the power of 
movement. The digestive organs refuse to do their 
work, the bowels become constipated, vomiting appears, 
tenderness and soreness come in the breasts. The suf- 
ferer usually experiences pain in walking, is easily fatigued, 
has leucorrhea, and the bladder is sensitive both during 
the flow and between the periods. If the inflammation is 
very slight the pains may subside when the flow ceases. 

The Viavi system of treatment for 

A Philosophical painful menstruation from congestion 

Treatment seeks the causes and aims to assist 

X at ure to remove them. These pains 
are merely a symptom of an abnormal condition of the 
generative system. If the cause is displacement, which 
prevents a free circulation of the blood and thus induces 
congestion, the displacement must be righted. If it 
arises from adhesions, the adhesion must be absorbed. 
If tumors or polypus growths produce the condition, 
Nature must be assisted to expel them. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM MECHANICAL 

CAUSES 

In mechanical dysmenorrhea the pains are caused by 
some mechanical obstruction to the free outflow of the 
menstrual fluid. These are of various kinds. A plug of 
mucus or blood ma}* form in the cervix. Foreign growths, 
such as tumors or polypi, may appear in the uterine 
cavity. Both of these classes of obstructions will inter- 
fere with the flow. Very common causes are flexions 
and versions of the womb; these constrict the natural 
means of escape for the flow. Other causes are a stricture 
of the vagina and an imperforate hymen. 



20S VIAVI HYGIENE 

The symptoms of mechanical, spasmodic or obstruc- 
tive dysmenorrhea are very characteristic and easily dis- 
tinguished. What is known as uterine colic is the kind 
of pain most frequently observed. This is produced in 
the following way: The menstrual flow, prevented from 
escaping, is retained for several hours in the womb, dis- 
tending it; then the womb contracts, as in childbirth, and 
the severity of the pain will be in proportion to the expul- 
sive effort required to force the menstrual fluid past the 
obstruction. The flow then comes with a gush, and the 
pain ceases until another accumulation occurs. These 
recur at intervals during the period, and disappear when 
the period has ceased. When the obstruction occurs in 
the cervical canal the contractions will expel a small clot 
of blood, followed by a gush, which gives relief for the 
time. Sometimes the clots are large, resembling pieces 
of liver. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM DISEASED 
OVARIES 

Ovarian dysmenorrhea is caused by inflammation of 
the ovaries. In such cases the ovaries are enlarged or 
tender, or both. One or both ovaries may be involved. 
In chronic ovaritis there is more or less pelvic peritonitis, 
or inflammation of the peritoneum of the pelvis. When 
the menstrual epoch arrives there is natural congestion 
of the pelvic organs, and this congestion, pressing upon 
the diseased and sensitive nerves involved in the ovarian 
and peritoneal inflammation, causes the pain. The suf- 
fering is paroxysmal and neuralgic, and is tormenting. 
The affliction has its origin in the diseased condition of 
the ovaries, either one or both. Intermenstrual dys- 
menorrhea (paroxysms of pain between the periods) is 
also a feature of this complaint, and is more common, 
perhaps, in this form of painful menstruation than in any 
other. Occasionally it occurs after every other men- 
struation. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION . 209 

In painful menstruation depending upon inflammation 
of the ovaries the flow gradually diminishes; this is espe- 
cially noticeable in girls and young women. It is largely 
due to non-development of the ovaries at puberty. There 
is a marked tendency to atrophy (wasting) of the organs, 
ending in sterility and in loss of function, with a tendency 
to cancerous degeneration later. 

In painful menstruation from inflammation of the 
ovaries the lower part of the abdomen is extremely sensi- 
tive, and there is a monthly martyrdom. Distressing 
headache, neuralgia and hysteria are likely to appear. 
The pain is usually dull, and is confined to one side, or 
extends to both, as one or both ovaries may be affected; 
when both are affected the pain usually extends around 
the pelvis and invades the buttocks and thighs; the 
breasts are often tender, and there are likely to be general 
nervous disturbance and depression of spirits. The 
amount of the menstrual discharge tends to dimmish. 

The Viavi system of treatment is carefully designed 
to assist Nature in removing the diseased condition of 
the ovaries, and that of the peritoneum arising from the 
ovarian trouble. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM A THICKENED 
LINING 

Membranous dysmenorrhea is that in which the lining 
of the womb, having become diseased and thickened, fails 
to disintegrate naturally and pass away imperceptibly, 
as in health. Instead, it is forcibly parted from the 
womb irregularly, causing pain, and often passes away 
whole, producing severe pain. The pains usually begin 
with the flow, and increase as the flow progresses, finally 
bringing on pains identical with those in labor. During 
these pains the membrane passes as a whole or in shreds. 
Usually the pains are severest at these times, and are 
followed by rather a profuse flow, which soon disappears. 
It may be followed by a purulent or a watery discharge, 



210 VIAVI HYGIENE 

which may continue for a few days or indefinitely. The 
sufferer is usually extremely nervous, and sterility is 
commonly present. The general health suffers seriously. 

The most irrational treatments have been employed 
for this affliction, among them dilation and curetting, in 
conjunction with chloride of zinc or carbolic acid for the 
purpose of destroying that part of the membrane left 
behind by the curette. Such a treatment, including 
curetting, is necessarily unsuccessful, as it makes no effort 
to remove the cause of the complaint, and introduces 
special evils not existing with the affliction. 

The Viavi system of treatment purposes to assist 
Nature in restoring the womb to its natural condition, 
that the lining may be naturally formed after menstrua- 
tion, be of a natural character, and be naturally and 
painlessly shed during menstruation. 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION FROM OBSTRUCTIONS 

Obstructions of one kind or another do not sufficiently 
account for painful menstruation in all cases. The 
causes lie deeper than the mere obstruction in such 
instances, and the obstruction is merely an indication of 
the deeper cause. We find some women menstruating 
painlessly through a very small cervical mouth, and others 
suffering agonies when the mouth is large. Obstructions 
caused by flexion of the uterus have more clearly defined 
characteristics, but there are conditions in the flexion itself 
that cause pain, because a flexion betrays the presence of 
disease, with highly sensitive nerves. Where the ob- 
struction is above the junction of the womb and vagina, 
the pains are severe; where it is below, they are compara- 
tively light. This is because the circulation is less inter- 
fered with. The more the circulation is strangled and 
the harder the pressure on the nerves, the greater the 
pain. It will be observed by women who have submitted 
to the old torturing method of treatment that dilation to 
secure relief when the obstruction is above the juncture 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 211 

of the uterus and the vagina, rarely secures the end 
desired. This subject will be more thoroughly discussed 
in the chapters devoted to displacements and flexions of 
the womb. 



GENERAL SUGGESTIONS ON PAINFUL ■ 
MENSTRUATION 

We have classified dysmenorrhea for convenience; as 
a matter of fact, several kinds may exist at once. The 
only importance that a classification has is this: If a 
woman has painful menstruation from a disease of the 
ovaries, and she fails to place herself under the Viavi 
system of treatment, she will be advised, almost beyond 
a doubt, to have her ovaries removed. The harm that 
she will suffer from such mutilation is pointed out in other 
chapters. If the disease is in the form of tumors or 
polypi in the womb, she will be advised, sooner or later, 
to submit to an operation, perhaps the removal of the 
womb. The timely use of the Viavi system of treatment 
has rendered these measures unnecessary. It makes no 
difference what form of painful menstruation a woman 
has had; the treatment has been equally efficacious in 
all, evidently because it assisted Nature to bring the 
parts into a healthy condition, even after every resource 
of ordinary methods had been exhausted and the case 
given up as incurable. A woman afflicted with any form 
of painful menstruation is progressing towards a surgical 
operation, either minor or capital. It may be avoided 
if she adopts the Viavi system of treatment. 

After the use of the Viavi system for a 

Pain a Sign time, menstruation may become even 

of Progress more painful than before. This should 

cause no discouragement, but should 

be accepted as one of the best signs. The delicate nerves 

have been made exceedingly sensitive by inflammation. 

In regaining tone under the treatment they have gradually 

recovered their power to relax and contract the blood 



212 VIAVI HYGIENE 

vessels in the inflamed organs, both to increase the supply 
of blood and to send the current onward. The unnatural 
sensitiveness of the parts rendered this natural process 
painful. The painful symptoms indicated that a normal 
condition was being brought about, and they gave the 
strongest encouragement to continue. 



TREATMENT FOR PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 

The sufferer should remember that recovery depends 
upon her recuperative powers, which she should encourage 
and develop by every reasonable means. She should 
make the circumstances of her life as agreeable as pos- 
sible, and adapt herself cheerfully where she cannot con- 
trol. The general nervous impairment may incline her 
to irritability; that must be subdued. It may make her 
negligent in using the treatment; the utmost diligence 
and fidelity are required. She may tire or become dis- 
couraged; every effort she makes to overcome such feel- 
ings is a positive strengthening force. Nothing should 
be neglected, nothing put off. Any disinclination for 
needful exercise in the air and sunshine should be deter- 
minedly conquered, but fatigue should be strictly avoided. 
Rest and sleep should receive careful attention, and every 
natural function should be attended to with perfect regu- 
larity. Each sufferer should make a study of her own 
case, for the greatest- benefits come from such an under- 
standing. Recovery brings so much gratification that 
every reasonable effort to secure it is warranted. 

Viavi Cerate. In all cases of painful menstruation 
the Viavi cerate should be used over the lower half of the 
region of the spine (see Cerate on Spine, final chapter), 
and its use must not be omitted during the menstrual 
period. It will be from the quantity of cerate absorbed, 
not the quantity applied, that benefit may be expected. 
The amount absorbed will depend on the thoroughness 
of the rubbing and the absorptive powers of the skin, 
which are normally great in this region. The cerate is 



PAINFUL MENSTRUATION 213 

wasted when more is applied than can be rubbed in. 
Much depends on the time and work put into the rubbing. 
Some one with perseverance should be secured to do this. 

The cerate is to be applied daily over the region of 
the abdomen also. (See Cerate on Abdomen, final 
chapter.) 

Compress. In conjunction with the use of the cerate 
on the spine and abdomen, in cases where the flow is sup- 
pressed or scanty, or great pain precedes the appearance 
of the discharge, a hot compress may be used twice a 
week between the periods; daily in severe cases. (See 
Hot Compress, final chapter.) 

It alleviates the pain by reducing the blood pressure 
on the sensitive nerves. If there is a great deal of 
inflammation and congestion, cold compresses (see final 
chapter) should be used twice a week, between periods, 
or daily if the case demands it, and hot compresses daily 
at the beginning of the period and a few days before. 
The cerate is to be applied after the removal of the com- 
press, and as advised when the compress is not used. 

Via vi Capsule is to be used in the vagina every 
night, as directed, except during the menstrual period. 

Viavi Liquid is to be taken in the stomach as directed. 

Viavi Royal is to be used as directed. 

Pendent Abdominal Massage. This is one of the 
best aids in the treatment of painful menstruation. (See 
Pendent Abdominal Massage, also Reclining Abdominal 
Massage where the compress and the pendent abdominal 
massage are omitted, final chapter.) 



PROFUSE MENSTRUATION, FLOODING 

Menorrhagia is an excessive flow during menstruation, 
and is commonly called profuse menstruation. Metror- 
rhagia is a hemorrhage of the womb occurring between 
the menstrual periods, and is commonly called flooding. 
Neither is a disease in itself, but, like leucorrhea, a 
symptom of disease. In both cases there is an undue 



214 VIAVI HYGIENE 

loss of blood, and this means an impoverishment of the 
system. In flooding there is danger of bleeding to death, 
particularly when it occurs at childbirth. 

An excessive flow during menstruation is determined 
by the normal quantity of the flow in each individual. 
What would be an excessive flow with one woman would 
not be with another. If the flow is greater than usual 
we have profuse menstruation; it is evidence of disease 
and calls for treatment. It may take various forms. 
The flow may come at the regular time and continue the 
usual time, but it may be too profuse; or the flow may 
come too soon, or last too long. The question to be 
settled is whether an abnormal amount of fluid has passed. 

Numerous causes may produce profuse 

Cause of Profuse menstruation. A woman may be what 

Menstruation is called a " bleeder," or one who bleeds 

easily from any cause. Stagnation of 
the blood in the veins of the uterus is a frequent cause; 
this may come from disease of the heart or lungs. Con- 
gestion of the womb from any cause will tend to produce 
it; among the causes are a bad circulation, a distension of 
the walls of the blood vessels from weakness, or excesses. 
Some of the most obstinate cases occur as the result of 
subacute or chronic inflammation of the ovaries. Dis- 
eases of the Fallopian tubes may be the cause. Among 
the commonest causes are structural changes in the 
womb, such as tumors or other morbid growths within or 
upon it. The blood may be either fluid or coagulated, 
and may show great variations in color and character. 

Strong, full-blooded women may stand profuse men- 
struation for some time without apparent serious injury, 
though injury nevertheless is being suffered; weak 
women rapidly decline. 

If a woman is not pregnant, a flow 

Some Causes of between the menstrual periods may be 

Flooding due to a fluxion of blood to the womb, 

or to a tumor or other morbid growth 

therein, or to change of life. With some it may occur 

during pregnancy, without apparent injury to the child, 



PROFUSE MENSTRUATION 215 

though it is always to be regarded as an unhealthy sign, 
and in most cases is the forerunner of abortion during the 
first half of pregnancy, and of miscarriage or placenta 
previa during the second half. 

It may occur upon the expulsion of the child, whether 
full-term or not. In such cases it is very serious and 
almost always dangerous. If it is not caused by mechan- 
ical injuries, it is likely due to the inability of the womb to 
contract and close the blood vessels. This may result 
from prolonged or exhausting labor, or from birth hurried 
by the use of instruments, /or from a partly adhering 
placenta. 

Hemorrhages that occur after the birth, and while 
the mother is still confined, are usually not so severe, and 
generally occur with women who do not nurse the child. 
In >uch cases the hemorrhage indicates that the blood 
designed by Nature to form milk is thrown out of the 
system through the womb. Flooding may occur at this 
time, also, from inflammatory irritation of the womb. 

Diseases producing great debilitation, such as typhoid, 
smallpox, cholera and the like, may cause flooding. 

A persistent flow of blood from the uterus is often 
due to some morbid growth within that organ, if it does 
not date from confinement or is due to weakness. If it 
occurs after the change of life, the presence of a malignant 
growth in the womb is often indicated. 

A diseased condition of the lining of the womb is 
often responsible for flooding. 

The grave question as to whether one 

Grave Effects of is losing too much blood may be deter- 

Hemorrhage mined by the effect of the flow. In 

hemorrhage the blood comes in gushes, 
or there is a continual flow of bright red or dark blood. 
The face turns pale and the extremities become cold. 
There may or may not be pain. Other possible symptoms 
are convulsions, difficulty in breathing, anxiety, nausea, 
a ringing in the ears, feeble pulse; and the mucous mem- 
branes become pale. A hemorrhage should receive 



216 VIAYI HYGIENE 

immediate and skillful attention, as a woman thereby 
loses strength rapidly. Medical assistance should at once 
be sought to check the hemorrhage, so chat the action of 
the Viavi system of treatment may not be retarded by 
loss of the strength so essential to the sufferer's welfare, 
which should be her first consideration. Hemorrhage in 
the case of a woman who has come thoroughly under the 
influence of the Viavi system of treatment has been more 
easily checked than that in other cases. 

A woman need feel no uneasiness if a 

Flow During the profuse flow, not a hemorrhage, occurs 

Treatment while she is under the Viavi system of 

treatment for foreign growths in the 
womb (see chapter on Tumors), as every flowing brings 
with it more or less abnormal substance. In the absence 
of a foreign growth, after the change of life, profuse flow- 
ing is one of the first signs of malignant disease (generally 
cancer) of the uterus or cervix. Curetting, the means 
most often employed, has been discarded by many. The 
Viavi system of treatment has rendered it unnecessary. 
Curetting is confined to one part of a single organ, the 
fact that all the organs are involved, and that the con- 
dition of the entire system contributes to the affliction, 
being ignored. Scraping away the lining of the womb can- 
not possibly place the system and the generative organs in 
a healthy condition, nor can it induce the growth of a 
healthy uterine lining. 

The Viavi system of treatment, when 
Treatment for allowed to be used, is as follows. It 
Hemorrhage is not intended to take the place of a 

physician, but to be used till he arrives, 
if there is any delay, and in cases where a physician can- 
not be procured. Upon the first appearance of the flow the 
sufferer should lie down and keep perfectly quiet until the 
flow has ceased. This is imperative. Raising the foot 
of the bed two or three inches and keeping the head and 
shoulders low, tend to lessen the amount of blood in the 
pelvic organs. 



PROFUSE MENSTRUATION 217 

Douches. Both heat and cold serve to contract the 
blood vessels by stimulating the muscular fibers. Water 
heated to 120 degrees Fahrenheit acts as an astringent, 
and is one of the most convenient and valuable means to 
arrest a hemorrhage or profuse flow. A prolonged hot 
vaginal douche taken lying down will frequently be fol- 
lowed by good results. The water should be hot, and 
not merely warm. , 

Vinegar or lemon juice may be used in the douche 
with temporary beneficial results. In some cases it 
proves efficacious, but as a rule astringents have but 
little value even when brought in contact directly with 
the source of the hemorrhage. 

Compress. In other cases cold compresses (see Cold 
Compress, final chapter) act quickly and prove of more 
value than other methods; it may be found necessary in 
some cases to cover the abdomen with an ice pack. 
Where the cold compresses or ice pack are employed, 
heat should always be applied to the extremities by 
holding the feet in hot water. 

Viavi Capsule. The use of the capsule is discon- 
tinued during the flow, but if the flow continues for any 
length of time, so as seriously to interfere with the regular 
use of the treatment, it should be used in the rectum, so 
that its effects may be felt continuously upon the system. 
(Also see treatment for Painful Menstruation.) As 
a rule, the capsule is discontinued the first four 
days of the flow; then it is used per rectum until the 
flow ceases, when its use is resumed in the vagina. 

Viavi Cerate is applied daily along the full length of 
the spine and also over the abdomen. (See Cerate on 
Spine, Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) 

Viavi Royal should be used as directed. 

Diet. Nutritious food is demanded; the diet should be 
generous and well suited to the taste of the sufferer. Beef 
or good extracts of it, strong broths and soups should* be 
given in small quantities, but frequently. Mutton chops, 
mill and eggs will prove of benefit. Lemonade, oranges and 
grapes are beneficial and grateful. Stimulants must be 
strictiy avoided unless used under a physician's guidance. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



ABSENT MENSTRUATION 

• (AMENORRHEA).' 

WE ARE concerned here with absent menstruation 
(amenorrhea) occurring after menstruation 
has been established and until it ceases because 
of pregnancy or the change of life. It is a very 
serious condition, and if neglected will lead to detrimental 
or fatal results. A suppression of the flow from unnatural 
conditions causes the system to become stored with foreign, 
and therefore deleterious, matter. 

Frequent results are a breaking down of 

The Results of the lung tissue, an excessive aceumula- 

Amenorrhea tion of flesh, a dropsical condition, 

tumors, and a general impairment. 
It is like damming a rivulet. The water will accumulate 
and form a pond. Some of the water escapes by perco- 
lation through the soil and some by evaporation; but 
if the supply is greater than the loss, the accumulation 
will be constant. The only way to stop it is either to dry 
up the spring feeding it, or to remove the dam. The use 
of the Viavi system of treatment contemplates the re- 
moval of the dam, as that is the natural way. 

Of course, this increase of flesh is unnatural, and there- 
fore the sufferer is unhealthy. She becomes languid; 
mental depression overtakes her; her skin has a peculiar 
sallowness, and retains for some time indentations made 
with the finger; her digestion will likely suffer. Then 
some disease, such as consumption or Bright's disease, 
appears, and death may ensue. Thereupon it is announced 
that the patient died of consumption, or whatever else 
was the immediate cause of her death, and the vital lesson 
that suppression of the menses really caused her death, 
has been lost. 



ABSENT MENSTRUATION 219 

Menstruation is the result of a number 

Causes Producing of forces and conditions acting in 

Amenorrhea harmony. The destruction of this 

harmony impairs or destroys the func- 
tion. The nervous system must be in good order, the 
blood must be healthy, the circulation must be perfect, and 
the generative organs must be sound. If there is serious 
nervous depletion of a general kind, suppression is likely. 
Thus, it may follow any serious acute disease and may 
not be re-established until the nervous system has re- 
gained its normal status. A violent nervous shock, such 
as fright, grief or anxiety, may temporarily suspend the 
function. A serious derangement of the digestive system 
may cause it. It is often found with pulmonary consump- 
tion, and is produced by the anemia that follows fevers, 
pneumonia, Bright 's disease, diabetes, alcoholism, mor- 
phinism, cancerous or malarial conditions, or chronic 
inflammation of the generative organs. 

Cystic degeneration in the ovaries, tumors of the 
uterus, displacement of the generative organs by adhesions 
from peritonitis, flexions of the womb, enlargement and 
hardening of the uterus following pregnancy, are all 
causes of suppression. Sometimes a change of climate 
produces it. Radical changes in the mode of living may 
bring it on. Taking cold during the menstrual period is 
a very prolific cause; this is done mostly by cold bathing, 
keeping wet shoes on the feet, sitting or lying in a cold 
air current, cooling off quickly after dancing or other 
vigorous exercise, sitting on cold stone steps, and even 
changing the linen. If intelligent attention is not paid 
to the evacuation of the bowels and bladder, the suspen- 
sion may occur. 

Pregnancy usually stops menstruation, 
Suppression and but there are exceptions. It is not 
Pregnancy always possible to distinguish preg- 
nancy from suppression, though the 
indications, in a condition of perfect health, are very 
different. Pregnancy will be discussed in a separate 
chapter. As it is a natural condition, and suppression 



220 VIAVI HYGIENE 

an unnatural one, we should expect great differences in 
the symptoms apart from the suppression, and these we 
generally find. 

It must be plainly understood that the Viavi system 
of treatment has no place with those measures employed 
to bring about menstruation in cases of pregnancy. 
Its purposes and effect arathe opposite of abortion. 

In suppression we generally find head- 
Symptoms of ache, particularly on the top or side of 
Suppression the head; heaviness of the feet; dys- 
pepsia; lassitude; drowsiness in the 
daytime; dropsical conditions; palpitation of the heart; 
bleeding at the nose; swelling of the veins of the legs. In 
addition are the constitutional signs upon which the whole 
disturbance rests. We can easily understand the meaning 
of all these conditions. The drowsiness comes from an 
impure condition of the blood, affecting the brain; the 
nose bleeding is evidence of Nature's effort to get rid of 
some of the blood that should have escaped in the natural 
way; the distension of the veins of the legs shows a 
superabundance of fluid in the system, and the inability 
of the valves in the blood vessels there to keep the blood 
from settling. 

As the body is an exceedingly complex 
Restoration of organization, and as the forces operat- 
the Flow ing in menstruation are highly com- 

plicated, it is evident that in treating 
suppression, very broad ground has to be taken. A 
treatment which confines itself to local conditions — as, 
for instance, the inability of the womb to cast off its 
lining in menstruation — is disastrously inadequate. All 
of the complicated conditions involved in menstruation 
have to be considered and dealt with in seeking thorough 
and permanent results. There is no such thing as a simple 
and isolated condition producing any of the derange- 
ments of menstruation. However simple and restricted 
the cause may seem, we may be sure that there are other 
and remoter causes behind it, and it is our duty to remove 
them. We must put the entire nervous system in order; 



ABSENT MENSTRUATION 221 

we must supply the blood with nutrition and strengthen 
the circulation; we must give intelligent heed to the local 
condition of all the organs of generation, for all of them 
are involved, directly or indirectly, in menstruation. 
Such are the principles of the Viavi system of treatment 
for suppression, and past success in overcoming this 
dangerous and common malady is a sufficient attestation 
of its value. 

It will be inferred from the following 

Treatment for directions that the Viavi system of 

Suppression treatment for suppression of the menses 

is both constitutional and local, and 

that it is designed to meet the complex conditions 

involved in the trouble. Its aim is to provide that the 

circulation be strengthened, the blood enriched, and the 

weakness of the digestive system overcome. By being 

thus put in a sound condition, healthy function has 

resulted, and the menses have returned. This was a 

natural process, without any forcing. Nature was simply 

enabled and assisted to do her work. 

Viavi Capsule. Every night, just before retiring, 
a vaginal douche should be taken while lying down. One 
moderately warm douche a day is sufficient, unless a 
profuse leuchorrheal discharge is present, when a douche 
night and morning should be taken. After the evening 
douche a Viavi capsule should be placed in the vagina. 
When the menses appear, the douche and the use of the 
capsule should be suspended. If the flow continues over 
four days, the use of the capsule should be resumed, but 
in the rectum instead of the vagina until the cessation of 
the flow, and then again in the vagina. 

Viavi Cerate. Use the cerate daily over the lower 
half of the spine, in a thorough way. (See Cerate on Spine, 
final chapter.) An assistant should be engaged to apply 
the cerate to the spine, but where one is not available, the 
sufferer can apply it by placing it on the back of the hand. 
The cerate should be applied also over the abdomen in 
connection with a hot or a cold compress, as may be 
advised by the Hygienic Department after receiving the 



222 VIAVI HYGIENE 

sufferer's health report, but as a rule the hot compress is 
employed, daily. (See Hot Compress, final chapter.) 
The compress should be followed at once by a thorough 
application of the cerate. 

Massage. An easy, non-fatiguing way to apply the 
cerate is by abdominal massage after retiring. (See 
Reclining Abdominal Massage, final chapter.) The Pend- 
ent Abdominal Massage (same chapter) is perhaps the 
more efficacious of the hygienic aids. 

Via vi Liquid should be taken according to directions. 

Via vi Royal should be taken according to directions, 
when a tonic is demanded. 

Via vi Laxative should be taken according to direc- 
tions if the bowels are sluggish. 

Via vi Suppositories. If the rectum is implicated, 
the use of the Viavi suppositories in conjunction with the 
other treatment is required. In such cases individual 
advice will be given upon receipt of written application 
to the nearest Viavi office. 

Diet should be bland and nourishing. Stimulants 
are to be avoided. 

Rest, sleep, outdoor exercise, mental composure and 
perfect regularity of habits are essential. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 



CURETTING 

CURETTING is the scraping away of the lining of 
the womb. The instrument used is of a spoon 
or scoop shape and has either a sharp or a dull 
edge. The operation is performed by first intro- 
ducing a speculum into the vagina. This enables the 
operator to fasten a sharp hook or hooks into the neck 
of the womb, by which this organ is dragged to the 
vaginal orifice.. The mouth of the womb is then dilated, 
and the curette introduced into the cavity of the womb 
and repeatedly drawn outward. The pressure of the 
edge of the instrument against the womb scrapes or cuts 
away its lining. The womb is then washed out and 
packed. This scraping away the lining is for the purpose 
of causing a new lining to form. In the chapter on 
Menstruation it has been shown that if Nature is given 
the proper assistance she will not only throw off the 
diseased lining, but is enabled to grow a new and healthy 
one. 

The dragging downward of the womb 

Injury Done to the length of the vagina is in itself a 

the Womb serious procedure. It so stretches the 

ligaments, the posterior wall of the 

bladder and the anterior wall of the rectum that it requires 

both treatment and care before these parts regain their 

normal condition, if ever they do. If adhesions are 

present they are likely to be torn loose and internal 

hemorrhage may occur 

The dilation of the mouth of the womb is another 
part of the operation that is injurious. If the organ is 
hard, or indurated, the dilation becomes a serious opera- 
tion in itself, and laceration frequently occurs. Before 



224 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the neck of the womb can be made sufficiently large to 
introduce the curette, the' bruising of the tissues by the 
dilating instrument causes agonizing pains. If the dilat- 
ing is rendered painless by anesthetics, that does not 
prevent the injury done the tissues, as they in no way 
relax. Nature opens the mouth of the womb from 
within outward, operators from without inward. It is 
not merely the mouth of the womb that is to be opened, 
but the entire neck, which is an inch long, or one-third 
the length of the entire womb. 

The womb resents mechanical inter- 
Sensitiveness of ference more than any other organ of 
the Womb the body, and it requires most careful 

manipulation and dilation to open the 
neck of the womb sufficiently to admit the curette. 
Note the unwillingness of a rosebud to unfold by mechan- 
ical interference, and how the petals refuse to separate, 
and the bruised, unnatural appearance of the bud that 
has been opened; this will give some idea of the resistance 
of the neck of the womb and the bruising of its tissues by 
this forcible dilation. 

The neck of the womb, with its external and internal 
openings, acts as a double guard to the cavity of the 
womb itself, showing Nature's extraordinary care in 
trying to prevent any unnatural invasion. 

If the greatest antiseptic precautions 

Many Evils Are are not taken, blood poisoning may 

Accomplished result. The puncturing of the uterine 

walls with the curette is not an unfre- 

quent accident, especially where the walls of the womb 

are soft and somewhat flexed or bent. Sometimes the 

curette is thrust entirely through the uterine walls into 

the peritoneal cavity. Uncontrollable hemorrhages may 

occur, or there may result a complete obliteration of the 

uterine cavity, the muscular tissues being so torn by the 

curette that a complete union of the walls results. 

A diseased lining never exists independent of a dis- 
eased condition of the womb itself; the whole organ is 



CURETTING 225 

implicated more or less. It would be as sensible to scrape 
away the lining of the stomach to establish a healthy 
reaction in that region as to scrape away the lining of 
the womb for the same purpose. 

The openings of the Fallopian tubes 

Damage Done into the womb are exceedingly small; 

the Tubes curetting leaves them raw, bruised and 

bleeding, and they frequently become 
obliterated by the inflammatory process which follows 
this operation. It should be remembered that these 
openings are only sufficiently large to admit a very small 
bristle. This closing leads to diseases of the tubes and 
ovaries, to painful, suppressed and irregular menstruation, 
and to other complications difficult to overcome. 

A large number of sufferers coming 

A Hope Never under the Viavi system of treatment 

Realized have submitted at some time to this 

operation, some of them many times, 
each time being led to believe that it would be the last. 
One woman had submitted to twenty curettements, and 
though but little could be expected even under the Viavi 
system of treatment, by reason of the extensive damage 
that had been done, the recovery was all that could be 
desired. Large numbers of women have placed "them- 
selves under treatment for suppression resulting from 
curettements. Even many of those who have been the 
most enthusiastic in the use of the curette have abandoned 
it altogether. 

It is necessary for the lining to be 
Injurious and thrown off before the menses can 
Illogical appear, but before this, Nature prepares 

the organ for the shedding of the mem- 
brane. In curetting, the womb is not prepared to cast 
off its membrane; hence a normal membrane is not 
formed. It is thickened and hard; hence when the 
# menses appear it becomes exceedingly difficult to cast 
off. Every succeeding currettement causes the inside 
of the womb to become more and more abnormal, and 



226 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the membrane to change from an exceedingly thin, 
tissue-like affair into a thickened and tough covering. 
Curetting is harsh, unnatural and radical, three con- 
ditions which should be carefully avoided in the treat- 
ment of diseases peculiar to women. 

Curetting is resorted to because those 

The Cause Not who employ it have no better means of 

Removed treating the condition that they wish 

to overcome. Besides all the dangers 
that accompany it is the patent fact that it does not 
remove the cause of the condition at which it is aimed. 
It does not supply the blood with nutriment. It does 
not produce a healthy circulation. Instead of toning 
and strengthening the nerves, it irritates and therefore 
enfeebles them. It does none of the rational and bene- 
ficial things that Nature could do if she only were given 
the assistance she requires. Instead of aiming to help 
Nature, it endeavors to force her processes. 

The Viavi system of treatment is just the reverse of all 
this. It imposes no torture. It commits no outrage upon 
Nature. It produces no abortions. It attempts no vio- 
lence, and hence avoids the dangers that violence invites. 

■ There are nine serious conditions, one 
The Results of or more of which may follow this so- 
Curetting called minor operation: 

1. Liability to internal hemorrhages 
from the breaking loose of adhesions. 

2. Laceration of the mouth and neck of the womb in 
dilation. 

3. Liability to blood poisoning. 

4. Puncturing of the uterine walls. 

5. Causing of abortions in obscure pregnancies. 

6. Hemorrhage from the uterine cavity. 

7. Obliteration of the uterine cavity. 

8. Obliteration of the openings of the Fallopian tubes. 

9. Suppression of the menses. 

Let a woman contrast these with natural methods and 
decide for herself. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



THE X0X-DEVEL0PMENT OF GIRLS 

In former chapters the normal development of girls 
was fully considered. As non-development, or retarded 
development, or arrested development bears a close 
relation to menstruation, it is treated here. A large pro- 
portion of the women who suffer through life, or who 
upon marriage develop some weakness that leads to 
suffering, failed to receive intelligent attention at the time 
of puberty. 

The immensity of the evils generally 

Great Evils of wrought upon girls by the schoolroom 

Overstudy can hardly be exaggerated. At the 

very time when Nature is placing the 
heaviest strain upon them, they are called upon to work 
to the full limit of their strength. Any excessive burden 
placed upon a girl's mind at the age of puberty consumes, 
forces that Nature demands for her physical development. 
Indeed, at this time there should be no more mental work 
than is needful to keep the mind in healthy working order. 
The sexes should never be permitted to work in the same 
classes at this time. It places girls at an unnatural dis- 
advantage, and by introducing competition, spurs them 
on to exertion that they cannot afford to make. Nothing 
will be lost by proceeding slowly until the girl's menstrua- 
tion has been firmly established, for when that occurs 
naturally, there ensues a remarkable mental activity that 
makes strides with a rapidity impossible to boys. 

As there is nothing in a girl's instinex 
Girls Should Be that teaches her to expect menstrua- 
Instructed tion, she cannot expect it unless she 
is taught to do so. If she has had no 
instruction when it appears, she sees for herself that a 



228 VIAVI HYGIENE 

serious thing has happened, and that it is different from 
any of her former experiences. It is natural for this 
to fill her with alarm, and her native modesty will likely 
make her conceal her condition. The discharge contains 
blood. Every child has learned the danger of losing 
blood. The girl, if untaught, does not know that the 
flow in her case is natural, and is alarmed, and her sense 
of prudence may lead her to check the flow. The in- 
genuity which girls display-in their efforts to accomplish 
this is remarkable. The commonest way is to take a cold 
bath. This generally checks the flow, and begins a life- 
time of suffering. 

When we realize the strain under 
Other Sources of which Nature places a girl at puberty, 

Imperfection and the vital force required to effect 
the change, we can understand the 
necessity for a vigorous girlhood as the foundation for the 
change. If a girl has been born of healthy parents, has 
been wanted before her birth, and has been reared with 
all the affection and wise guidance that a competent 
mother will bestow, and is instructed concerning the 
change that must occur, and is taken kindly through it, 
there never will be the slightest trouble. Nine-tenths of 
women are afflicted to a greater or less extent with some 
disease peculiar to their sex. To the extent that mothers 
are not perfect, their daughters will suffer. These young 
lives not only come into the world burdened with weakness 
inherited from their mothers, but they fail to receive the 
wise guidance necessary to their health. 

It is often difficult to discover a girl's inherent weak- 
ness until she comes under the strain imposed at puberty. 
It is then that the story of her mother's condition may 
be read in her own. Even before that time arrives, some 
distressing things are found. Many a girl under twelve 
is afflicted with leucorrhea. In some cases it appears 
even in infancy. Knowing the constant drain that leu- 
corrhea makes upon the system, one can imagine what the 
experiences of a girl who passes through puberty in such 
a condition must be. 



THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 229 

The ovaries constitute the grand center 

The Ovaries Are of the womanly nature. Their condi- 

the Center tion at puberty represents much that 

goes to the making up of the individual. 
If the system lacks in inherent strength, there will not 
be a sufficient source upon which Nature may draw for the 
vital energy required to develop the ovaries. Around and 
within these complex little ovaries cluster the finest, most 
delicate and most skillful adjustments of which Nature is 
capable. In puberty every resource of the entire system 
is called upon to contribute its quota of strength toward 
their development. The digestive system must be perfect. 
Every vital organ must be in superb working order. The 
blood must be supplied with the nutriment that the body 
requires. The circulation must be free and vigorous. All 
the organs of elimination must be able to work up to their 
full capacity. The condition of the mind itself must be 
adapted to the need. If it is exhausted by stud} r , or if it is 
harassed by troubles of domestic or other origin, the ovar- 
ies will suffer in development. If the sympathy and 
affection that the child-heart craves are withheld, or if 
the peevishness of a sickly mother is present to act as a 
depressing or irritating influence, the ovaries will suffer. 

So many causes may and do operate at 
Retardation of puberty to prevent the normal develop- 
Development ment of the ovaries that it would be 
impossible to enumerate them all. It 
ought to be sufficient to impress upon mothers the con- 
dition in which puberty places even the most robust girls, 
much more those who are the least delicate. 

If Nature cannot find in the system sufficient material 
out of which to work properly the transforming of a 
child into a woman, she will take all that she can find, 
and leave the rest of the body to suffer. So great is the 
effort that serious disturbances of many kinds are likely 
to arise unless all the conditions are favorable. Head- 
aches are very common. Pains in the ovarian region 
inflict tortures. Many a young girl is so overcome by 
the trials that she is called upon to bear, that she is dis- 



230 YIAVI HYGIENE 

couraged and down-hearted, and some are even led to 
suicide. 

Unless the ovaries develop normally, 

Mistakes Are the child- will not develop normally 

Committed in any direction. Her form will not fill 

out properly. She is likely to be flat- 
chested and stoop-shouldered, her eyes to be dull, her 
mind stupid, her affections blunted, her bodily functions 
deranged. When the attention of the parents is drawn 
to their daughter's sallow, pinched face, hollow chest, 
angular figure and lifeless, awkward gait — all evidences of 
low vitality and lack of natural development — there is too 
apt to arise a decision to put her through a course of 
exhausting physical exercise, and thus consume the last 
remnant of strength that the system requires for other 
purposes. Instead of this her life should be made as easy 
and pleasant as possible, all exhausting work withheld, 
and careful attention paid to rational exercise, a sufficient 
amount of sunshine, wholesome diet and abundant sleep. 
It is under such circumstances that the Viavi system of 
treatment has assisted Nature to accomplish many happy 
results. 

As early as ten years of age a girl should 

A Girl Requires be instructed by her mother to expect 

Instruction menstruation in the course of time, and 

should be impressed with its great im- 
portance to every concern of her life as long as she shall 
live. The mother should point out the danger of taking 
cold, of too much violent exercise, particularly in skipping 
the rope, or permitting the feet to remain wet, or sitting 
on stone steps or the damp ground. To secure the daugh- 
ter's full confidence is to make it sure that she will an- 
nounce the changes that she feels taking place within her 
at eleven or twelve years of age. Then the mother can 
explain them and thus remove all the apprehension and 
shame that they will otherwise arouse. It is wonderful 
and beautiful to see the readiness with which girls respond 
to appeals to their confidence from their mothers. These 



THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 231 

matters should be discussed frankly, not behind closed 
doors, as if they were something to be ashamed of. At 
the same time the girl can be given to understand that 
the mother is the only one with whom it is right for the 
daughter to discuss these subjects. The mother will be 
gratified to see how eager her little girl is for more know- 
ledge. This can be imparted judiciously, but it is evident 
that the mother must inform herself before she can be a 
mother in the full sense. 

There is a danger — a rare one, but one 

An Imperforate giving rise to serious possibilities unless 

Hymen it is understood — that may confront 

young girls at puberty; that is an im- 
perforate hymen, one that has no opening through which 
the menstrual flow may escape. (See chapter on A Wom- 
an's Organs of Generation.) If there is no opening, the 
menstrual fluid is dammed up, and becomes a serious 
menace. The flow, seeking an outlet elsewhere, will likely 
give rise to very serious results. There is only one cure 
for imperforate hymen — an opening must be made, and 
this should be done by a physician. 

There should be no hesitancy in the use of Viavi 
capsules by young girls, and they should be instructed in 
the matter. Xo rupturing nor stretching occurs if the 
normal opening exists, by reason of the high elasticity of 
the membrane, the opening being sufficiently large. The 
Viavi system of treatment, besides being designed to 
enable Nature to establish normal processes in such cases, 
spares a girl the mortification and injury inflicted by 
examinations. She takes the Viavi system of treatment 
in the privacy of her own room, with none but her mother 
to know. 

Green sickness is found in girls near the 
Green Sickness, age of puberty, and is due to a ciiminu- 
Chlorosis tion of a valuable constituent of the 

red corpuscles of the blood which 
gives them their color. Hence the sufferer is pale; some- 
times the skin is clear and of a greenish-yellowish hue. 



232 VIAVI HYGIENE 

There are dark circles around the eyes; the lips and the 
mucous membrane are pale. There may be also a 
dropsical condition of the eyelids, face and feet. The 
breath is cool, and the ears, nose, lips, hands and feet are 
cold, indicating that the circulation is poor. The sufferer 
is generally very sensitive to cold. Palpitation of the 
heart is present. Although the ailing one does not exert 
herself in the least, there exists great muscular weakness, 
and she easily becomes tired. The head is dizzy and 
aches. There are noises in the ears, and pains in different 
parts of the body, especially in the back; hysterical 
spasms, nightmare, and sometimes an inclination to self- 
destruction. There are a loss of appetite and a desire for 
sour things, and often a morbid craving for chalk, paper, 
ashes, fresh earth, coals and even excrement. Absence 
of the menses, or painful and irregular menstruation, is 
generally seen, or a thin, watery leucorrhea in place of the 
menses. In other cases chlorosis is accompanied with 
profuse menstruation. Hysterical paroxysms are of com- 
mon occurrence. 

The whole digestion is disturbed, and consequently 
the assimilation of nutriment for the blood does not take 
place properly; hence all functional activity is impaired. 

Irregular menstruation in young girls, 

Nervous Ills, from non-development and allied 

Epilepsy causes, gives rise to nervous troubles 

that are likely to be much more serious 

than in the case of adults. Epilepsy is sometimes a 

result. Low spirits and melancholia are encountered. 

Many a girl has run away from home because her nervous 

condition had made her surroundings seem intolerable, 

particularly if the mother was cross or unsympathetic. 

It is under such circumstances that suicide is committed 

by girls of an extremely sensitive nature. 

It will be inferred from what has been said of the Viavi 
system of treatment and the manner in which it is aimed 
to assist Nature to strengthen the nerves, the circulation 
and the nutrition, that it is especially adapted to chlorosis, 
which may persist for years if it does not receive the proper 



THE NOX-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 233 

treatment. Excellent results have been secured by the 
use of this treatment in this distressing affliction. 

If a girl shows the slightest weakness at 
Symptoms of puberty, suffers pain of any kind in any 
Weakness locality, exhibits any form of nervous- 

ness, is depressed, has poor circulation, 
indicated by cold hands and feet or a blue skin, is anemic 
or chlorotic, has headaches or backache; if the menses 
are retarded or abnormal in any other way, the bust and 
chest flat and not developed or the muscles flabby, she 
needs the Viavi system of treatment, by which Nature is 
designed to be supplied with the material with which she 
is enabled to develop the child into a healthy woman. 
The greatest care should be taken to make her life as bright 
and pleasant as possible, avoiding undue work and excite- 
'ment and requiring absolute regularity in everything — 
eating, sleeping, exercise, rest, attention to the bowels. 
The diet should be carefully managed, to see that only the 
most nourishing things are eaten, and in abundance. 

The following treatment is adapted to 

Viavi Treatment girls in any of these conditions, 

for Girls including chlorosis. The utmost 

watchfulness and diligence should be 

employed to see that the treatment and 

the personal conduct going with it are faithfully adhered 

to until health is restored. Girls can rarely be trusted 

to have the patience required, as they are still children at 

this time. Firm, gentle guidance is greatly needed and 

generally imperative. 

Viavi Cerate. Great care should be given to the 
use of the cerate over the lower half of the spine at least 
once a day, so that the nervous system may be properly 
strengthened. (See Cerate on Spine, final chapter.) 
The cerate should be used once a day over the entire chest, 
very thoroughly, with an upward rubbing, all harshness 
being carefully avoided. 

Pendent Abdominal \f ass age (which see in final 
chapter) is an important aid to the treatment in such 
cases. 



234 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Hot Compress on the abdomen in connection with the 
use of the cerate should be employed. (See Hot Compress 
in final chapter.) 

Viavi Capsule should be used in the vagina every 
night. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Laxative should be taken according to direct 
tions if there is constipation. 

Viavi Royal should be used as directed, in chlorosis 
and other forms of weakness. 

Experience in the use of this treatment has shown 
that girls readily responded; the muscles and glands filled 
out naturally, the appetite became normal and the diges- 
tion good, the spirits grew light, the budding into woman- 
hood beautiful. 



VICARIOUS MENSTRUATION 

Vicarious menstruation is that in which the menstrual 
flow occurs from some part of the body other than the 
vagina. Although genuine cases of it are rare, their 
serious nature and the readiness with which they have 
yielded to the Viavi system of treatment make it advisable 
to consider the affliction here. 

As a rule, when the menstrual period arrives the flow 
occurs from the mucous membrane in some part of the 
body other than the natural place, including the eyes. 
The most common places are the nose, gums, stomach, 
lungs, breasts, or even some portion of the skin; or from 
ulcers anywhere, or from piles. The flow in some cases, 
instead of having the form of blood, may be serum, which 
is colorless, in which event the discharge is represented by 
a profuse watery diarrhea. 

In seeking the cause of vicarious menstruation, we 
must look to faulty nutrition or a low condition of the 
nervous system. It may be due, however, to high ar- 
terial tension. 



THE NON-DEVELOPMENT OF GIRLS 235 

It ma} r be inferred that no matter what 
The Treatment the cause of this distressing complaint, 
Efficacious except malformation of the organs, 
the Viavi system of treatment is adapt- 
ed to assist Nature in overcoming it. This can be better 
understood by studying the action of the treatment as 
explained throughout this volume. The aim is to provide 
that the blood be enriched, the nerves and circulation 
strengthened, and the general system put into a condition 
that enables the natural functions to establish themselves. 
Many grave dangers arise from neglect of this dis- 
tressing condition. Nature's tendency to make the most 
of a bad situation leads her to adjust her operations as 
nearly as possible to abnormal conditions that she cannot 
overcome. In this way diseases become chronic, and are 
more difficult to overcome than those that have recently 
arisen. The sooner any disease is taken in hand the easier 
it is cured, as the less the effort must be to break up a 
habit into which Nature has fallen. 

The treatment for vicarious menstruation is the same 
as that for non-development. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



LEUCORRHEA 

THE word leucorrhea means a white flow. In color it 
may range from a white glairy mucus to a yellow 
or greenish tinge, due to its purulent character. 
In some cases it looks creamy, in others 
curdled. It usually develops during the menstrual life 
of a woman, though inherited cases in children are fre- 
quent. It is the commonest of all the affliction that 
beset women, nearly every woman being troubled with 
it at one time or another. The deplorable feature of 
the matter is that women as a rule do not regard it in 
its true light as a serious affair representing a condition 
in which no woman can be healthy, and leading to graver 
conditions unless its cause is removed. 

Leucorrhea may originate either in the vagina or the 
uterus. In severe cases the two forms may exist together, 
through the sympathic relation of the organs. As the 
discharge represents a disease of the linings of the 
organs, the longer the condition persits the more deeply 
these linings will become involved and the longer will be 
the time required to bring them to health. 

The immediate cause of leucorrhea is 

The Cause of a catarrhal condition of the linings of 

Leucorrhea the parts, just as a discharge from the 

nose indicates a catarrhal condition of 
the lining of that organ. The discharge is the product 
of inflammation. In leucorrhea, besides the general 
systemic conditions of which the affliction may be 
merely a symptom, special local causes may be present. 
Among these are menstrual derangements, displacements 
of the womb, pregnancy, prolonged nursing, abortions, 
miscarriages, cervical laceration, piles, tumors, a sudden 



LEUCORRHEA 237 

suppression of the menses, violent exercise during the 
menstrual period, the use of cold water or other harsh 
injections, and the wearing of pessaries and the like. 
The extreme sensitiveness of the membranes lining the 
vagina and uterus renders them peculiarly susceptible to 
inflammation, and requires intelligent care. 

Where the cause is constitutional, as anemia, scrofula, 
consumption, malaria and the like, inspection will fail 
to disclose any local cause. 

The abnormal activity of the vaginal 

Some Effects of lining, due to its inflammation, causes 

Leucorrhea its secretions, which in health are 

slight, to become abnormal in quantity, 
and they are withdrawn from the blood. The blood 
provides only for normal secretions by the mucous mem- 
brane in any part of the body, and is obviously impover- 
ished to a greater or less degree when an unnatural drain 
is made. Musin, an albuminoid, one of the constituents 
of the secretions by the mucous membrane, is a valuable 
element carried by the blood, and its excessive sub- 
traction works a general injury. This probably explains 
many of the symptoms accompanying leucorrhea, symp- 
toms often treated erroneously and harmfully, in ignor- 
ance that leucorrhea causes them. Thus leucorrhea is 
the open door to disease, besides producing immediate 
evils, including weakness and a gradual breaking down 
from the tendency of the affliction to grow worse instead 
of better unless the causes producing it are overcome. 
Many of the ills that so grievously afflict women have 
leucorrhea in their early history. 

In some cases of leucorrhea the mouth 
Other Effects of the womb closes, owing to the sticky 
Observed character of the discharge and the in- 

flamed condition of the cervix. As a 
result, mucus accumulates within the womb, and is finally 
expelled by labor-like contractions of the womb, giving 
rise to uterine colic. When the condition of which leu- 
corrhea is evidence has become chronic, the blood supply 
of the uterine organs is seriously interfered with. Abnor- 



238 YIAVI HYGIENE 

mal growths may appear in any of the organs — vagina, 
womb, Fallopian tubes or ovaries. It should be borne in 
mind that leucorrhea is not a disease, but a symptom of 
disease, and that the condition of which it is a symptom 
will lead to grave results unless they are eradicated. 

Under the inflammatory condition present in uterine 
leucorrhea, the womb gradually enlarges, and eventually 
becomes too heavy to be held in place by the ligaments 
designed to support a womb of normal size. The womb 
then becomes displaced. 

A serious and trying result of neglected leucorrhea in 
many cases is the excoriating character of the discharge, 
rendering the skin sore and setting up external inflam- 
mation. Or the acrid discharge will affect the mucous 
membrane over which it passes. 

The temptation to resort to astringent 

Astringents Are douches to stop the flow is exceedingly 

Injurious strong, and is widely advised under the 

ordinary method of treatment. A 
little reflection will show how unwise and hurtful such a 
practice is. It completely ignores the cause of the dis- 
ease; unless this is removed the disease cannot be cured. 
In many cases where the disease is deep-seated and com- 
plicated, the discharge acts as a safety-valve until the 
cause is found and overcome. Besides that, in uncom- 
plicated leucorrhea the sudden application of a solution 
of alum, or other astringent, to the highly sensitive 
membrane will likely derange its capillary circulation 
and thus aggravate the inflammation. To dam up 
the flow brings about complications that would tax 
the best skill to reach, extending to the tubes, ovaries, etc. 
These injections have an injurious effect reaching 
beyond the generative organs. Some of the worst cases 
of gastric indigestion that we have met were clearly 
traceable to vaginal injections used to check leucorrhea. 
The only rational treatment of leucorrhea is to remove 
the cause producing it, and the only measures that can 
produce satisfactory and permanent results are natural 
ones. 



LEUCORRHEA 239 

With the assistance given by the Yiavi 
How Cure Was system of treatment. Nature has re- 
Effected moved the cause of leucorrhea, and 
thus gradually and naturally put a 
stop to the discharge; so that when the sufferer was cured 
she remained well if she did not again permit the cause 
producing the disease in the first instance to arise. 

"While a woman is under the treatment she must, of 
course, avoid any conduct that would tend to weaken 
her system or produce local irritation. She should under- 
stand all that has been said about rest and sleep, the 
blood and its circulation, the wearing of proper clothes, 
the use of a separate bed, and all the other matters that 
appeal to a woman's common sense. 

The knowledge that there is: some cause 
Treatment for behind leucorrhea should enable any 

Leucorrhea sufferer to determine what it is. That 
cause must be overcome. If it is 
laceration of the cervix, for instance, that condition must 
be attended to. (See Treatment for Laceration.) If it 
is inflammation of the womb, or other parts of the .gener- 
ative tract, see Treatment for Inflammation of the Womb. 
If it is the absence of the menses, see Treatment for 
Amenorrhea. If tumors, see Treatment for Tumor-. If 
anemia, or impoverished blood, see Treatment for Xervous 
Debility. Vaginal douches for leucorrhea are not cura- 
tive, but in the Viavi system of treatment are useful in 
cleansing the tract for the better absorption of the Yiavi 
capsule. The treatment given for debility should be 
employed if the cause for the leucorrhea is, for some good 
reason, not ascertained. 

In combination with the treatment for a known cause, 
and in uncomplicated leucorrhea, the following treatment 
is advised: 

Viavi Capsules are to be used as directed. In very 
copious discharges they are to be used in the rectum 
as well as the vagina. 

Viavi Cerate on the lower half of the back and on 
the abdomen, once a day. 



240 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Hot Compress on Abdomen once a day in conjunction 
with the application of Cerate. (See Hot Compress, 
same chapter.) 

Pendent Abdominal Massage. See directions in 
final chapter. 

Via vi Liquid as directed. 

Via vi Laxative as directed, if there is constipation. 

Via vi Royal in severe cases, as directed. 

Baths. See final chapter. 

Diet. Simple, nourishing, abundant. 
. Rest, Sleep, Exercise. See chapter on Activity, 
Rest and Sleep. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



THE VAGINA 

(AND SOME OF ITS diseases) 

INFLAMMATION of the vagina (vaginitis) may be 
either acute or chronic. It may be caused by cold 
and dampness, excesses, irritation from pessaries, 
excoriating discharges from the uterus, retention of 
bits of sponge, medicated or astringent douches, exten- 
sion of inflammation from below or above, childbirth 
and infection. 

The symptoms depend upon the seyer- 
Symptoms of ity of the attack. The leucorrheal 
Vaginitis discharges are at first scanty, but soon 

become profuse and often purulent, 
accompanied with a burning heat and a throbbing sen- 
sation in the vagina, and sometimes severe pelvic pain. 
There are often an aching and a sensation of weight in 
the perineum, or floor of the pelvis, frequent urination, 
and painful sensitiveness. The mucous membrane of 
the vagina becomes red and congested, showing raw 
patches, which may progress to ulceration. 

In granular vaginitis, the walls feel on examination 
as if they were covered with millet seed; this condition 
may extend up over the neck of the womb. This form 
of vaginitis is extremely painful and is stubborn. 

In adhesive vaginitis (where the vaginal walls adhere) 
the walls bleed easily, and the leucorrheal discharge is 
watery and tinged with blood. As bloody discharges 
generally point to grave conditions, adhesive vaginitis is 
likely to be diagnosed wrongly, thus placing the trouble 
under malignant diseases. The flowing of the excoriating 
discharges over the parts will likely produce extreme 



242 VIAVI HYGIENE 

soreness about the vaginal orifice, and is often accom- 
panied with pruritus, or intense itching. 

In chronic vaginitis the red appearance of the vaginal 
walls and an excessive leucorrhea may be the only 
noticeable symptoms. As vaginitis means inflammation 
of the vaginal walls, it comes within the range of the 
Viavi system of treatment, as does other inflammation 
elsewhere. Upon a reduction of the inflammation the 
discharges become gradually lessened; also the burning, 
soreness, etc. 

Extreme nervousness accompanies all diseases of 
the vagina. 

As much rest lying down, preferably 

Treatment for undressed and in bed, as can be had, 
Vaginitis should be taken, particularly in cases 

even approaching severity. The in- 
flammation weakens the tube, and may bring about the 
distressing condition known as prolapsus of the vagina. 
In severe cases, being on the feet invites prolapsus. 

Douche. A copious hot-water douche, to which 
twenty drops of Viavi liquid to the pint have been 
added, should be taken night and morning while lying 
down. (See Douches, final chapter.) 

Viavi Capsule. One should be inserted in the 
vagina night and morning, immediately after the douche. 
After the morning douche the sufferer should remain 
lying down for about an hour. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used over the abdomen, lower 
half of the spine and over the perineum for at least thirty 
minutes, once a day. (See Cerate on Abdomen, Cerate 
on Spine, and Massage of the Perineum, in final chapter.) 

Viavi Liquid is to be taken as directed. 

Hot Sitz Bath is to be taken once a day. (See Hot 
Sitz Bath, in final chapter.) 

When the condition has somewhat moderated, the 
walls of the vagina may be kept separated by a fold of 
sterilized gauze or clean old linen, which should be satur- 
ated with the contents of three Viavi capsules thoroughly 



THE VAGINA 243 

mixed with one teaspoonful of vaseline or olive oil. To 
insert the gauze, it may be laid over the vaginal tube of 
the syringe; withdrawal of the tube will leave the gauze. 
It should be of sufficient length to come down just to the 
orifice. The external parts should be well covered with 
this mixture. 

Vaginismus, a painful, spasmodic con- 
Treatment for traction of the muscles of the vaginal 

Vaginismus orifice, may accompany vaginitis, and 

will yield with a cure of that trouble; 

or it may be caused by an abrasion or rawness at the 

vaginal opening, or by the inflamed remains of the 

hymen; sometimes it is purely nervous. 

Viavi Capsules. The contents of one capsule, 
unmixed with oil, are to be used several times daily over 
and about the vaginal sphincter, the muscle closing the 
orifice. 

Hot Douche. Very hot douches should be taken 
several times a day, lying down. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used on the spine, abdomen and 
perineum as directed for vaginitis. 

Cold Sitz Bath. See final chapter. 

Prolapsus of the vagina is caused by a 
Prolapsus of relaxation which permits of the walls 
the Vagina rolling outward or protruding down- 
ward through the vaginal opening. 
When the posterior wall rolls out it brings with it the 
anterior wall of the rectum, and a swelling is produced 
of variable size at the rectal orifice; this is known as 
rectocele. When the anterior vaginal wall prolapses it 
brings with it the posterior wall of the bladder or its 
base; this is known as cystocele. Both of these conditions 
interfere with the parts involved. In rectocele the expul- 
sive powers of the rectum are greatly diminished. In 
cystocele the pouching downward of the base of the 
bladder causes a retention and decomposition of the 
urine; inflammation of the bladder is a frequent result. 



244 VIAVI HYGIENE 

A relaxation of the vaginal wall is fre- 
The Causes of quently brought about by retaining 
Prolapsus the urine until the bladder is weakened. 
It is comparatively easy for men to 
empty the bladder frequently; women are often forced 
to hold the urine until the bladder becomes relaxed, and 
prolapsus of the bladder and anterior wail of the vagina 
results. This weakness is progressive, and is not dis- 
covered until the "lump," which is the prolapsed bladder, 
is noticeable. 

Other causes are external laceration and getting up 
from the lying-in bed too soon. Weak, flabby abdominal 
walls also aggravate a loss of tonicity in this region. 

It is important that as much rest as 

Treatment for possible be taken lying down, prefer- 
Prolapsus ably undressed and in bed, and cer- 

tainly with the loosest possible clothes 
about the waist. 

Via vi Capsules should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used as directed for vaginitis. 

Cold Compress on the abdomen is to be used twice a 
week, and a cold sitz bath every other day. (See Cold 
Compress and Cold Sitz Bath, final chapter.) 

Vaginal Douche. A hot vaginal douche is to be 
taken lying down, morning and night. (See Vaginal 
Douches, in final chapter.) After the morning douche 
remain lying down for at least an hour, as heat relaxes 
the parts temporarily. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Pendent Abdominal Massage should be given daily. 
(See Pendent Abdominal Massage, final chapter.) 

The bladder should be emptied frequently. 

Pruritus is an intense itching of the 
Pruritus and vagina or vulva. It is not a disease, 
Its Causes but a symptom of some abnormal con- 
dition, which is not always confined 
to the generative tract. It may yield quickly to treat- 
ment, but as a rule it is stubborn. 



THE VAGINA 245 

The distress is generally increased by warmth in bed. 
The itching and burning may be so intense that the suf- 
ferer cannot refrain from scratching or rubbing the 
parts, but by thus breaking the tender surfaces, she 
intensifies her sufferings. She constantly makes use of 
the douche, and bathes the external parts with first one 
medicated wash and then another, but all to no avail. 
The itching may extend to the anus and even down over 
the thighs, causing some to become hysterical and to 
suffer from nervous prostration. 

Women approaching the change of life are more fre- 
quently afflicted than others, but pruritus is not infre- 
quently found in children and young women. In children 
it may be caused by an acrid leucorrhea that irritates the 
vagina and external parts, or by worms that creep from 
the anus into the vagina. 

It frequently accompanies leucorrhea of an irritating 
character. Tumors also induce it by the abnormal secre- 
tions that at times accompany them. At the change of 
life it is frequently due to an abnormal condition of the 
urine, which at any time of life may cause it. 

The sufferer should make a careful 

Treatment for study of herself and if possible ascer- 

Pruritus tain the cause of her distress. If she 

has some trouble of any of her gener- 
ative organs, it should be overcome. When it occurs at 
the change of life, the kidneys are likely involved; in that 
case Viavi liquid is required. If it is caused by a dis- 
charge aggravated by the presence of a tumor, the advice 
given in such cases should be followed. (See chapter on 
Tumors.) 

If it is caused by worms, a cold salt-water rectal 
douche should be taken twice daily (see Rectal Douche, 
final chapter), and Viavi liquid should be taken as directed 
on the bottle. For children the dose is from three to five 
drops, three times daily, about twenty minutes before 
meals. Children should also be given a cold sitz bath 
twice a week. 



246 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Via vi Cerate should be used as directed for vaginitis, 
the external parts being rubbed with it. 

Via vi Capsules. The contents of three capsules 
should be used on a cloth inserted in' the vagina, as 
directed in the treatment for vaginitis. Care should be 
taken to see that the ends of the cloth separate the lips of 
the vulva. 

Vaginal Douches, three or' four, should be taken 
daily, lying down. Ten drops of Viavi liquid should be 
added to each pint of water, which may be either hot or 
cold, as experience determines which proves the more 
grateful. Women differ in this regard. 

Cold Sitz Bath should be taken just 'before retiring 
every night. 

Where an itching of the parts follows 

Good Symptoms the treatment for a uterine disease, it 

Observed should be looked upon as a favorable 

symptom, as poisonous secretions are 
being eliminated. The itching and burning are caused 
by the secretions excoriating the surfaces over which 
they pass, but the relief offered by the treatment just 
given should be sought nevertheless. 

It requires considerable perseverance under these cir- 
cumstances to continue the treatment, but one may rest 
assured that the best is being done that can be done. The 
source of the trouble must be reached, and when that is 
overcome to some extent, the sufferer will begin to feel 
much better. To apply ointments to the parts, exter- 
nally, will only alleviate for a time, and the trouble will 
again appear with renewed force. Unless the treatment 
is directed at the cause, which is likely a uterine or a 
kidney trouble, permanent results may not be looked for. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB 
METRITIS, SUBINVOLUTION 

INFLAMMATION of the womb (metritis) may be either 
acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is of recent oc- 
currence; chronic inflammation is that which has 

become established. In an acute condition the natur- 
al curative powers of the system have not been so generally 
reduced as in a chronic condition, and its more recent 
appearance invites natural efforts to combat it with more 
vigor. In a chronic disease, Nature, finding her efforts 
to cure unavailing, has adapted herself somewhat to the 
abnormal condition, though all the time protesting with 
pain and thus calling upon our intelligence for remedial 
assistance; but the abnormal condition has become to a 
certain extent a habit of the system. 

Upon the first indications of inflammation of the 
womb we should employ intelligent treatment to overcome 
it. If not, it will merge into the chronic form, and re- 
quire much more time, effort and expense. 

Apart from immediate causes producing 

General Causes inflammation of the womb, there are 

of Metritis general causes that are discussed in the 

chapter on Congestion and Inflamma- 
tion. Thus, the extreme sensitiveness of the generative 
organs to abnormal conditions of the system, such as 
impaired nutrition or devitalized nerves, from unwise liv- 
ing, lack of proper food and insufficient rest, sleep and exer- 
cise, invites the localization within the generative organs of 
any weakness that may exist generally in the system, 
if, for instance, the tone of the nerves whose function it 
is to regulate the elasticity of the arterial walls becomes 
lowered throughout the system, the probabilities are that 



248 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the ensuing weakness of the arterial walls will become 
localized in the generative organs, and particularly in the 
uterus, by reason of the great number of its blood vessels 
and the sensitiveness of the nerves controlling them. In 
such cases it is evident that to torture the womb with 
local treatment has no effect whatever upon the causes 
producing the condition, and that the Viavi plan of assist- 
ing Nature to remove the causes by furnishing vital nour- 
ishment is the rational one. The nervous system must 
be built up, and intelligent living must be followed. 

Aside from the general causes that 

Specific Causes produce inflammation of the womb are 

of Metritis many of a local character. Among 

these are the inflammation following 

delivery (this is generally associated with blood poisoning 

— septicemia) ; a sudden suppression of the menses, caused 

by taking cold; injury from the use of the sound, the 

curette, pessaries, tents and medications; laceration; the 

production of abortion; surgical operations upon the 

uterus; miscarriage; excesses; non-development. 

Suppression of the menses produces inflammation by 
stopping the escape of waste which Nature designed should 
be removed. Some medications have a similar effect. 
Abortions, miscarriages and surgical operations are vio- 
lent interferences with natural conditions, and produce a 
radical nervous derangement that prohibits a natural 
control of the uterine blood vessels. Displacements have 
a similar effect upon the nerves, and retard uterine cir- 
culation. 

When the inflammation extends from the womb to 
the peritoneum covering its body or upper end, we have 
perimetritis. 

It is impossible for one part of the 
Entire Womb Is womb to become inflamed without 
Involved affecting other contents of the pelvic 

cavity to a greater or less extent; 
consequently, when we treat metritis, or inflammation of 
the womb, we include endometritis, which means in- 
flammation of the lining membrane of the womb, as it is 



INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB 249 

impossible for the body of the womb to become inflamed 
without its lining membrane becoming involved. We 
also include inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis), in- 
flammation of the lining membrane of the cervix (endo- 
cervicitis), and allied inflammatory conditions. 

An inflamed finger will not only involve the whole 
hand, but the arm as well, and impair their functions if 
the condition is permitted to continue. It is the same 
way within the pelvic and abdominal cavities. Inflam- 
mation cannot be confined to one spot, nor treated in one 
spot to effect a cure. We must treat the contents of these 
regions as a whole. Hence the success of the Viavi system 
of treatment. If a woman is told that she is suffering 
from metritis, endometritis, cervicitis and endocer- 
vicitis, she becomes terrified, believing that an operation 
is the only means of relief. But if she is told that she is 
suffering from inflammation of the whole womb, which 
those words mean, she does not become frightened, but 
realizes that inflammation here can be as successfully 
reached by a natural treatment as inflammation elsewhere. 

A large majority of the cases of chronic 
The Causes of inflammation of the womb are due to 
Subinvolution subinvolution, a failure of the womb 
to return to its natural size after child- 
birth, abortion or miscarriage. The process of involution, 
the returning of the womb to its natural size after child- 
birth, is not completed, even by a healthy woman and 
under the most favorable circumstances, in less than 
ninety days, and a great many accidents may occur to 
delay or largely arrest it. Mental shocks, suppression 
of the milk, retention of pieces of the placenta, and, 
commonest of all, the unconquerable and unpardonable 
proneness of women to leave their beds too soon, interfere 
with normal involution. Subinvolution almost invariably 
follows childbirth where a woman has conceived with the 
womb in otherwise than a perfectly healthy condition. 
In many cases it is caused by a constitutional laxity of 
fiber; this may be peculiar to women in all ranks and to 
those who look healthv. 



250 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Another frequent cause of subinvolution is neglect 
after an abortion or a miscarriage. Women of all classes 
are too apt to overlook the fact that these occurrences, 
instead of being trifling, are generally more serious than 
normal labor; they are a violent interference with the 
natural course of events, whereas normal labor is natural. 

Another cause is a recurrence of the condition in a 
slight form after each birth. In such cases the uterus 
has not regained its normal size after childbirth before 
another pregnancy occurs. Repetitions of this gradually 
bring the uterus to a size two or three times as great as 
it should be, and there is a continuous copious leucorrhea. 
Prolapse or even protrusion of the uterus is a frequent 
addition to this condition. This will be more particu- 
larly discussed in the chapters devoted to displacements 
of the womb. 

We frequently find married women 

Beginning of who date their invalidism from child- 
Invalidism birth. These periods of illness extend 
over many years, from fifteen to twenty 
and over. We have reference to cases of subinvolution 
uncomplicated with laceration-cases in which involution 
has not occurred properly after childbirth. Where the 
womb remains large and heavy, as in subinvolution, 
every monthly period becomes almost a menace to life, 
if the patient is unfortunate enough to contract a cold or 
overtax her strength. If the hand, foot or any visible 
part of the body remained abnormally enlarged from 
disease for several years, would not its functions become 
impaired, and would it not become a burden? So it is 
with the enlarged and heavy uterus, but much more so, 
as it cannot be put to rest like a member of the body, for 
it has its function to perform monthly, and this is of vital 
necessity to health and life. 

The symptoms of inflammation of the 
Symptoms of womb are many and varied. Enlarge- 
Metritis ment always occurs, and this in turn 

causes displacement; hence the pres- 
ence of the symptoms peculiar to the displacement, in 



INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB. 251 

whatever direction it may fall, backward, forward, or 
downward; pain in the abdominal region, in the back; 
a sense of weight and bearing down in the pelvis, increased 
when standing; pain in the uterine region when sitting 
down; leucorrhea; menstrual anomalies of all kinds, 
with an aggravation of the symptoms during the menses; 
great heat, with a burning sensation of the cervix and 
vagina; digestion and appetite become impaired; the 
lower extremities are painful and lame, often leading a 
woman to diagnose her case as rheumatism; sterility, 
if it becomes complicated with inflammation of the tubes 
and ovaries; while the inflammatory process overlaps 
and involves surrounding tissues and organs to such an 
extent that often the whole body from the waist to the 
feet is hardly free from pain. 

Mental symptoms arise, such as forgetfulness, peevish- 
ness, crying easily and for no cause, despondency, 
melancholia; and even various forms of insanity, more or 
less severe. We find also sleeplessness, intense head- 
aches, pain on the top of the head and at the base of the 
brain; also a marked or peculiar pain between the shoul- 
ders, with tenderness of the spine and breasts, which show 
that the generative tract constitutes the center of the 
whole female organism, that an impairment of it im- 
plicates the whole body; and that by removing the cause 
— the inflammation within the pelvic region — all dis- 
tressing symptoms, even in remote parts of the body, 
disappear. 

As a rule, menstruation should not be 

When to Expect expected until at least seven or eight 

Menstruation months after delivery, if the breasts 

are yielding milk to the child; if not, 
menstruation should be expected two or three months 
after delivery. If, therefore, a woman has had her menses 
regularly and profusely ever since her confinement, or 
has had a continual blood-colored discharge, with occas- 
ional flooding, we may conclude that she is suffering from 
subinvolution or something worse. 



252 VIAVI HYGIENE 

In chronic inflammation due to the 

Signs of Chronic failure of the womb to return to its 

Subinvolution natural size after childbirth, the womb 

is always large and hard, and tender 

to the touch. Enlargement and tenderness of the ovaries 

will be generally found present, from the close sympathy 

existing between them and the uterus. 

The treatment for inflammation of the 

Treatment for womb or any of its parts, cervicitis 

Inflammation (inflammation of the neck of the 
womb or of its lining), salpingitis (in- 
flammation of the Fallopian tubes), ovaritis (inflamma- 
tion of the ovaries), subinvolution, enlargement, erosion, 
granulation, and laceration, is the same, as the cause to 
be removed is the same. The symptoms differ with the 
locations, and the names merely indicate the location. 
Removing the cause will remove the condition, though 
it be called by a thousand names. 

Via vi Capsules are to be used, one at night and one 
in the morning, the one at night in the following way: 

Hot Vaginal Douche. Before placing the capsule at 
night take a hot vaginal douche. (See final chapter.) 
If a profuse leucorrhea is present, take the douche night 
and morning. 

Viavi Cerate. This is to be applied thoroughly 
over the spine and abdomen, in accordance with the fol- 
lowing directions: 

Cerate on Spine. See final chapter for directions. 
The cerate should be used over the lower half of the 
spine, an assistant being employed; but if that is not prac- 
ticable, the sufferer may apply it by placing it on the back 
of her hand, once daily. The perineum also should be 
thoroughly rubbed with cerate once a day. 

Pendent Abdominal Massage. See directions for 
this in # the final chapter. This has a highly beneficial 
effect unless there is frequent flooding or the bladder is 
involved. Should either of those conditions exist, the 
cerate should be applied gently while the sufferer lies on 



INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB 253 

her back. The cerate should be used on the abdomen 
once daily. (See Cerate on Abdomen, same chapter.) 

Abdominal Massage may be used instead if more 
convenient. (See directions, same chapter.) 

Displacements. If there is a displacement of the 
womb, see Positions, in the chapter on Displacements of 
the Womb. 

Via vi Liquid is to be taken three times a day as 
directed. 

Hot Compress (see directions final chapter), is to be 
used on the abdomen three times a week or oftener if 
required, when the inflammation is acute and is not 
accompanied with profuse discharges of blood. It should 
be used just before applying the cerate. 

Cold Compress With Hot- Water Bag at Back 
(see final chapter), should be used twice a week, or oftener 
if necessary, if the inflammation has existed for some 
time and is accompanied with profuse and frequent men- 
struation. 

Hot and Cold Compress should be alternated every 
ten minutes for one hour, where the continued use of 
either proves debilitating and is not followed by marked 
improvement. (See final chapter.) 

Via vi Laxative should be used as directed if there 
is any tendency to constipation. (In that case see Knead- 
ing the Abdomen, final chapter.) 

Baths that the sufferer finds most convenient and 
best suited should be taken regularly. (See Baths, 
same chapter.) 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE WOMB 

FROM a study of the structure of the womb (see 
chapter on The Generative Organs of Wom:n) we 
can understand why congestion or inflammation 
of the womb causes enlargement of that organ. 
The blood vessels of the womb are not only very numerous, 
but exceedingly tortuous, or kinky, resembling loops; 
this is a wise provision of Nature to prevent their rupture 
from the enormous stretching occurring in pregnancy. 
If the vessels were straight, or approximately so, as in 
other parts of the body, they would tear asunder. 

The uterine blood vessels, like those 
The Causes of everywhere else in the body, haye their 
Enlargement particular sets of nerves whose function 
it is to maintain the tonicity of the 
vessels, and thus enable them to keep the blood moving 
naturally. If these nerves lose their tone, they cannot 
perform their work, and the blood vessels become lax; 
the blood cannot be kept moving properly; it accumu- 
lates in the vessels, distending them, and causing them 
to press upon the nerves of the womb, thus producing 
pain, not only in the womb itself, but also in the small of 
the back and in the lower part of the brain. As there is 
a great abundance of these vessels, and as their lax con- 
dition renders them distensible, their congestion increases 
the size of the womb. 

There is another source of enlargement from con- 
gestion. The stagnation of the blood in the vessels 
prevents the proper feeding of the uterine tissues and 
the removal of their waste, with the result that they 
undergo important changes, and the muscular fibers take 
on a low grade of tissue enlargement. Again, following 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE WOMB 255 

pregnancy there are many cases of subinvolution, as 
explained elsewhere. Congestion inevitably tends to 
produce inflammation. In this stage the destructive 
processes are more advanced, and tend to ulceration. 
The rational course is to take the congestion in hand as 
soon as it appears, and check it before it develops the 
more serious changes. The adaptability of the Viavi 
system of treatment to this condition can be readily 
understood. 

Among the causes of enlargement may be mentioned 
the following: Inflammation of the womb from lacera- 
tion, curetting, abnormal menstruation, adhesion of a 
part of the placenta after childbirth, the inability of the 
womb to return to its natural size after confinement, 
tumors and other abnormal growths, a sudden stoppage 
of the menses, inflammation of the ovaries, dropsy, and 
a general lowering of the nervous tone of the entire sys- 
tem from severe fevers and other ailments of all kinds. 
The enlargement may not be uniform; one part of the 
womb may be much more enlarged than another. The 
womb may be large and soft, or large, hard and sensitive 
to the touch; on the other hand, its sensory nerves may 
be so impaired that it is devoid of sensation. 

Enlargement of the womb causes more 
Bad Effects of disturbance and distress than would a 
Enlargement large degree of displacement without 

inflammation. The reason is that it 
encroaches upon surrounding parts and places a greater 
strain upon the ligaments supporting it. When these 
arc healthy and not overtaxed, they are elastic, and move 
regularly with the breathing. If they are under an undue 
strain from enlargement, this movement is retarded, 
causing an impairment of strength and function, and 
also pain and distress. They bear up under this strain 
as long as possible, but presently they give way, and 
the womb becomes displaced as well as enlarged. An 
enlarged womb will become displaced sooner or later, 
and then we are presented with a two-fold source of 
pain, and of drain upon the strength of the entire system. 



256 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The pelvic cavity is small, and the 

Enlargement and generative organs are snugly packed 

Pregnancy within it, each designed to occupy a 

certain amount of room. The un- 
natural enlargement of any one of them distresses all 
the others and interferes with their working and health. 
An instructive lesson may be learned by contemplating 
the difference between the conditions arising from 
enlargement of the womb by disease and by pregnancy. 
For a time after conception the womb remains in the 
true pelvis, but its enlargement there in no way inter- 
feres with the other organs or gives them distress. That 
is because pregnancy is a natural condition; enlargement 
of the womb from disease is not. As the womb con- 
tinues to enlarge in pregnancy it rises out of the true 
pelvis into the false pelvis. A tumor of that size, being 
an unnatural growth, would interfere with the working 
of every vital organ. 

While in pregnancy the natural forces governing the 
conduct of the womb raise it into the false pelvis, where 
it will have room to expand, in enlargement from disease 
the opposite course is found. These forces lose their 
power, and the womb gravitates downward, producing 
either a tilting or bending out of position, or prolapsus. 
A better opportunity than this for learning the difference 
between natural and unnatural conditions could not be 
found. This difference is ignored in those forms of 
treatment for enlargement which resort to unnatural 
instead of natural means. 

The first thing to consider in connec- 
Two Treatments tion with enlargement of the womb is 
Compared that, like all other enlargements pro- 
duced by congestion or inflammation, 
it is amenable to rational treatment. Cutting or scari- 
fying the cervix to relieve congestion is irrational, and 
adds injury to disease. Operations to shorten the liga- 
ments which hold the womb in place do not reduce the 
enlargement nor strengthen the ligaments, but injure them, 
Yet outside the Viavi system of treatment surgery is the 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE WOMB 257 

most common means employed in this distressing condition. 

What is obviously required is, first, an avoidance of 
all violence to these delicate organs, rendered all the 
more susceptible to permanent injury by their weakened 
condition from disease; second, a treatment that will 
render such aid to the natural recuperative forces of the 
body that they themselves, by natural means, will bring 
about a natural return to a healthy state. That is just 
the philosophy on which the Viavi system of treatment is 
planned, and the remarkable success which has attended 
its use in such cases cannot be overlooked. 

The treatment for enlargement of the womb is the 
same as that for inflammation of the womb, given in the 
last preceding chapter. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



DISPLACEMENTS OF THE WOMB 

SOME description of the womb is given in the chapter 
on The Generative Organs of Women. The blood 
supply of the generative organs, including thewomb, 
presents conditions existing nowhere else in the 
body and explains the origin and nature of their diseases 
and the adaptability of the Viavi system of treatment to 
them. The peculiar character of the blood vessels of the 
womb, permitting their stretching in pregnancy, is ex- 
plained in the chapter on Enlargement of the Womb. 

The womb is suspended, or swung, with- 
The Effects of in the pelvic cavity by means of mus- 
Displacement cular ligaments, and hence has more 

freedom of movement than any other 
organ of the body. It is deemed displaced when it is 
permanently out of position, as in versions and flexions. 
The temporary displacement backward by the filling of 
the bladder, and the temporary displacement forward by 
the filling of the rectum, are natural movements, as are 
those occurring in walking and in deep breathing. These 
movements are beneficial to both the womb and the liga- 
ments supporting it, giving them wholesome exercise. 
When that is prevented by prolonged displacement, the 
circulation of the blood in the womb loses the stimulus of 
natural exercise, and the womb grows large and heavy, 
and in consequence diseased. 

A large number of blood vessels supplying the womb 
pass between the layers of the broad ligaments. Displace- 
ment of the womb twists these layers more or less, re- 
ducing their blood-carrying capacity and causing con- 
gestion, inflammation, enlargement, displacements, tu- 
mors, cancer, etc. 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 259 

A cause of displacement is anything 
The Causes of that will weaken the uterine ligaments. 
Displacements It may be a general weakness; accord- 
ingly, when the womb becomes tem- 
porarily displaced from the filling or emptying of the blad- 
der or rectum, the ligaments have not the strength to 
lift it back into position. 

If the womb becomes inflamed and heavy, an extra 
weight is placed upon the ligaments, which are unable 
to lift it; in consequence, the enlarged and heavy 
womb becomes displaced. The longer it remains dis- 
placed, the heavier it becomes, as the quantity of blood 
held within its walls becomes greater and greater, until 
inflammation is the result. 

Understanding the causes of displace- 

Common Plan of ment, it will be evident that to reach 

Treatment and overcome them we must seek the- 

causes and remove them. This cannot 

be done naturally by the use of pessaries or other false 

supports. (See Pessaries, this chapter.) Neither can it 

be accomplished by surgical methods. 

The sewing of the fundus of the womb to the abdominal 
walls is one of the most abused as well as inhuman methods 
employed. Only the woman who has submitted to this 
operation can describe the pulling, burning pain and the 
intense nervousness that often result. Here the attempt 
is made to overcome one kind of displacement that is 
amenable to rational treatment, by a misplacement 
which is not only permanent, but worse, with no hope of 
relief. The womb by this operation is dragged forward 
and upward several inches, thereby putting nerves, 
muscles, tissues, and often the bladder, on a constant 
strain, and thus also displacing the other organs. The 
womb now lies upon the top of the bladder. The abdomin- 
al walls have varied uses, but it was never intended that 
any of these organs should be tacked to it for support. 

The operation for shortening weakened and stretched 
ligaments impairs them the more while doing nothing to 



260 VIAVI HYGIENE 

overcome the diseased condition that caused the displace- 
ment of the womb. 

In the usual method but little attention is paid to the 
cause of the trouble. No assistance is offered Nature; 
her able powers are ignored, her laws violated. Under the 
Viavi system of treatment, which avoids all violence and 
aims simply at giving Nature the assistance required, 
these troubles have yielded so consistently as to create a 
reasonable expectation of recovery in similar cases. 

Each form of displacement has its 
The Symptoms of special symptoms, but there are some 

Displacement symptoms and effects that are common 
to all. A retarding of the normal 
movements of the uterus gives rise to a sensation of a 
dull, heavy weight pressing upon the surrounding organs. 
Sometimes a great deal of pain is experienced; in other 
cases not much, if any; but in these the inflammatory 
process is generally very destructive; a great amount of 
damage has occurred before sufferers feel it necessary to 
seek relief. Generally there is pain in the head and back, 
with inability to walk or stand for any considerable 
length of time, from the feeling of weight and lameness in 
the abdomen. There is likely also to be lameness in the 
legs; the memory may become impaired and sufferers 
often fear insanity. 

The tissues of the displaced womb rarely eliminate 
fully the menstrual secretions; hence the monthly vas- 
cular purging is imperfectly performed; or the blood may 
be held within the cavity of the womb until it gives rise 
to labor-like pains in expelling it. This injures the tex- 
ture of the womb, and if allowed to continue. it prevents 
the formation of a healthy lining, which must be renewed 
each month. 



ANTEVERSION 

In anteversion the womb as a whole falls out of po- 
sition forward, thus resting more or less upon the bladder, 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 261 

which is forced to become its unnatural support. As 
this is not the function of the bladder, it becomes irritated. 
Its capacity also is much lessened, and the sufferer, by 
reason of the irritation, is forced to urinate frequently. 
This is a characteristic symptom of anteversion. If the 
displacement is permitted to continue, an inflamed con- 
dition of the bladder results; this is cystitis. (See chapter 
on Bladder and Urethra.) 

Voiding the urine does not relieve. In 
Effects Upon time the sphincter muscles that control 
the Bladder the flow of urine lose their function 
through constant irritation, with the 
result that incontinence of urine supervenes, and there is 
frequently a constant dribbling. A woman in that con- 
dition is an object of pity, and yet such is the condition 
of many who have suffered with anteversion for some time. 

Inflammation of the bladder, resulting from this 
displacement, in time involves the ureters, and this in- 
flammation in time extends to the kidneys, producing 
there one or more serious and often fatal diseases. No 
organ nor part of the body can suffer prolonged irritation 
without becoming diseased. 

Another result of anteversion is urethritis, or inflamma- 
tion of the urethra, the duct that conveys the urine from 
the bladder. (See chapter on Bladder and Urethra.) 

Other symptoms of anteversion are backache, distress 
in walking, nervousness, painful menstruation, leucorrhea 
(from interference with the circulation), and a heavy 
bearing-down pain in the pelvis. When the womb is 
healthy it is actively alive, light and hollow, ballooning 
about out of harm's way. When it is inflamed, enlarged 
and displaced forward, our purpose is to restore it natural- 
ly to a healthy state. It has become anteverted because 
it was too heavy to remain in position. It became en- 
larged from the inflammatory process, and the treatment 
must be directed to bring it back to its natural condition 
and size, where its weight can be sustained by its muscular 
supports. 



262 VIAVI HYGIENE 

For treatment of anteversion, see the end of this 
chapter.) 



ANTEFLEXION 

In anteversion the womb as a whole tips forward; in 
anteflexion it bends forward upon itself, much as a jack- 
knife when being closed. In anteversion the womb is 
usually large and has overtaxed its muscular supports, 
which have allowed it to fall forward as a whole; but in 
anteflexion the muscular substance of the womb itself has 
become so softened from inflammatory processes that it 
has fallen forward upon itself, or doubled over. Ante- 
flexion and anteversion may both be present. The womb 
resembles an inverted pear, the heavy part upward. The 
point of flexion is generally at the junction of the neck 
with its body. 

The symptoms of anteflexion are much 
Symptoms of the same as those of anteversion, but 
Anteflexion as a rule more severe and requiring 
longer treatment. Menstruation is in- 
terfered with. A part of the flow, in the form of clots, 
may be retained from one month to another, being un- 
able to pass the abrupt bend in the uterine canal. This 
keeps up a constant aggravation, which brings about 
destructive inflammation; frequently there is an absolute 
break in the softened tissues of the womb. 

A flexion often causes sterility, as the lining of the 
womb is never normal; it cannot prepare itself for the 
accommodation of the fertilized ovum, which fails to take 
root. Membranous dysmenorrhea may become per- 
manently established, the nervous system badly impaired. 
The retained discharges are injurious, and the entire 
system suffers. 

(For treatment of anteflexion, see end of this chapter.) 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 263 



RETROVERSION 

Retroversion is a tipping backward of the womb as a 
whole. It produces so many distressing and injurious 
conditions that the cause of the trouble is too often lost 
sight of, and direct treatment applied uselessly to second- 
ary conditions. If one of these organs is enlarged or dis- 
placed, the others will suffer, but direct treatment of 
them to the neglect of the primary condition accomplishes 
nothing. 

In retroversion, the enlarged, heavy, back-tilted womb 
rests upon the rectum, irritating it by unnatural pressure 
and reducing its caliber. This causes the fecal matter to 
gather in a mass above the point of pressure and push 
the displaced womb still farther down and back. This 
increases the unnatural tension on the ligaments support- 
ing the womb, and causes backache. 

From this partial closing of the rectum 

Some Effects of and packing of the feces, they dry and 

Retroversion harden, and are finally discharged after 

some of their deleterious elements have 
been absorbed into the circulation and carried to all parts 
of the body, to do what mischief they can. The packed 
feces injure the lower part of the rectum and the anus, and 
by their hardness and by severe pressure upon the diseased 
womb, aggravate its inflamed condition. 

The irritation produced by the constant pressure of 
the womb on the rectum interferes with the circulation 
in the rectum, often giving rise to fistula, hemorrhage, 
inflammation and ulceration of the rectum, with the 
various forms of tumors or piles generally seen with this 
condition. (See chapter on The Bowels.) Many rectal 
troubles among women are caused by this displacement 
backward. 

The injurious effects of retroversion are 

Affects Bladder not confined to the rectum, as all of the 

and Navel organs in this locality are attached 

— the womb to the vagina, the vagina 

to the bladder, the bladder to the urethra, the bladder 



264 VIAVI HYGIENE 

also by means of a cord to the umbilicus, or navel. When 
the womb falls backward, it makes traction on the bladder, 
it, in turn, makes traction upward on the urethra. One of 
the effects of this strain is to produce partial or complete 
paralysis of the nerves controlling the urethra and the 
sphincter by which the urine is controlled. There will be, 
in consequence, a dribbling of the urine, or a retention 
necessitating the use of the catheter. This upward stretch- 
ing of the urethra also irritates its lining, and may give 
rise to urethral caruncles, purplish growths lining it or 
hanging from its mouth like small, dark-red tongues; 
they are often extremely sensitive. 

As the bladder is stretched backward as well as 
upward, the urachus, or cord that attaches the bladder to 
the navel, is also stretched backward; hence there may 
be pain in the umbilical region, the irritation frequently 
causing a watery or pus-like discharge from the navel. 

The causes of retroversion are the same 

The Symptoms of as those producing anteversion. A 

Retroversion large number of nerves are located in 

that part of the pelvic cavity where 
the top of the retro verted womb rests; hence the mental 
and nervous symptoms that accompany retroversion. 
The most prominent symptoms of retroversion are back- 
ache and a pressing-down sensation in the pelvis; this 
greatly interferes with walking. We find also leucorrhea, 
and often erosions of the cervix. Emptying the bowels 
is painful. Pains run down the front of the thighs, and 
become worse upon motion. A burning sensation on the 
top of the head is a characteristic symptom, or extreme 
pain in the back of the head. There may be melan- 
cholia and hysteria, and mild insanity, or a fear of in- 
sanity; loss of memory, palpitation of the heart, stomach 
troubles, irritable spine and impaired eyesight. From 
poor drainage the lining membrane of the womb becomes 
inflamed, and this in time involves the whole womb. 
The inflammatory process may cause this organ to be- 
come adhered to surrounding parts. The ligaments are 
twisted and the circulation is impeded, not only in the 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 265 

womb and ovaries, but also in the broad ligaments, which 
in time become varicose. 

The Viavi system of treatment aims at 

The Cause Must the fundamental trouble, which is some 

Be Found weakness manifesting itself in deficient 

nerve action and defective circulation, 

both in the parts directly involved and in the entire body, 

the means employed being such as Nature appears to 

require. Both the philosophy of the treatment and the 

practical procedure based on it have abundantly justified 

their value in the long list of recoveries that have been 

secured. 

(For details of the treatment for retroversion, see the 
end of this chapter.) 



RETROFLEXION 

In retroflexion, the womb bends backward upon 
itself at the junction of the cervix and the body of the 
womb. It is similar to anteflexion, except that the 
bending is in the opposite direction. The bending in both 
cases is caused by enlargement and heaviness of the body 
of the womb, and a softening of its tissues. In retro- 
flexion, as in anteflexion, the cavity of the womb is closed 
by the bending, and the menstrual flow and leucorrheal 
discharges cannot easily escape. The evils arising from 
these abnormal conditions have already been pointed out. 

Flexions are more likely to occur after confinement 
than at any other time, from women leaving their beds 
too soon, the womb at this time being very soft and 
larcre. 

Flexions produce inflammation of the lining of the 
womb, and of the womb itself, with the formation of 
adhesions to the bowel. In addition to this, certain 
changes take place in the walls of the womb, such as a 
thinning of the front wall and a thickening of the rear 
wall. A varicose condition of the veins within the liga- 



266 VIAVI HYGIENE 

ments is also a result. This in time leads to prolapsus 
of the ovaries and Fallopian tubes. 

(The treatment for retroflexion is given at the end of 
this chapter.) 



PROLAPSUS 

Prolapsus uteri ("falling of the womb") is a slipping 
down of the womb into the vagina; in severe cases the 
neck of the womb protrudes from the vaginal orifice. 
The immediate cause is an unnatural heaviness of the 
womb, produced by congestion leading to inflammation 
and enlargement, and a giving way of the supporting 
ligaments under the unnatural strain. 

Serious as the condition appears— and serious as it 
really is under ordinary methods of treatment, whose 
chief reliance is artificial means — the outlook should not 
be regarded as gloomy. Evidently, if a treatment is 
employed under which the weakness that made the con- 
dition possible is removed naturally, health of the womb 
and its natural return to its right size and position will 
follow. With the removal of that which causes a condi- 
tion, the condition may be expected to disappear. That 
is the aim of the Viavi system of treatment. 

As the upper part of the vagina is con- 

The Symptoms of tinuous with the neck of the womb, the 

Prolapsus vaginal walls are dragged down with 

the womb, and made to fold upon them- 
selves. The anterior wall of the vagina forms the posterior 
wall of the bladder; hence the bladder also is dragged 
down. It is not unusual to find the bladder protruding 
from the vaginal orifice just in front of the womb. When 
it becomes distended with urine, it is large and prominent, 
varying in size from an egg to a quart bowl. When the 
urine is voided the bladder resembles a flabby mass. 
From friction and the acrid urine, the protruding bladder 
becomes inflamed and the sufferer's condition is pitiable. 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 267 

It often becomes necessary to push the bladder upward 
with the fingers before it can be emptied. 

Lameness of the legs frequently accompanies prolapsus 
and is often mistaken and treated for rheumatism, of 
course without good results. The legs may even become 
partially paralyzed from pressure on the nerves leading 
down them. 

The dragging-down sensation in prolapsus is similar 
to that in the other displacements. The pain is dull and 
heavy, especially across the back. The ovaries and Fal- 
lopian tubes, as well as the bladder and vaginal walls, 
are dragged downward, and mam' painful symptoms 
throughout the whole pelvic and abdominal regions are 
present the nature of which it becomes impossible for the 
sufferer to describe. In short, all symptoms of ante- 
version and retroversion may be present, with many 
more. 

There is no part of the body that yields 

Mechanical Aids to rational treatment more quickly than 

Irrational the generative tract, and no part that 

resents mechanical or surgical methods 
so stubbornly and keenly. This fact speaks for itself 
whenever surgery or a mechanical aid is resorted to. As 
these resorts fail to reach the cause producing the con- 
dition, it would be unreasonable to expect a cure under 
them. Under the Viavi system of treatment, there is no 
cutting, no patching up, no propping up, no stitching. 
The cause of the condition is aimed at, and rational aids 
are offered Nature for overcoming it. The fact that the 
generative organs respond so readily to a rational, natural 
treatment doubtless explains in part the success that this 
system of treatment has met in these conditions. 

(The treatment for prolapsus is given at the end of 
this chapter.) 

SYMPTOMS OF RECOVERY 

When any of the foregoing displacements occurs, 
stagnation of the blood in the blood vessels of the organs 



268 VIAVI HYGIENE 

has taken place. The walls of these vessels are injured 
by the overdistension, as are also the nerves of the vessels. 
When the nerves are sufficiently strengthened, they grad- 
ually regain their ability to control the blood supply and 
the movement of the blood. During this process there 
may be pain, but it will be only temporary, and is an 
encouraging symptom. As soon as the circulation is re- 
established — a necessary process in recovery — the pain 
will disappear. 

Sometimes the vaginal discharges become excoriating 
after commencing the treatment, producing itching, 
burning and even rawness. This is due to the throwing 
off of impurities, and will disappear as the parts become 
healthy and there is less of the impure matter to be thrown 
from the system. The tissues also become sounder and 
are not so tender as in the first place. 



TREATMENT FOR DISPLACEMENTS 

As all the displacements mentioned in this chapter 
came from one original cause, the general features of the 
treatment — those aimed at lending 'Nature the assistance 
required to strengthen the nerves and re-establish a 
normal circulation of nutritious blood, and designed to 
meet both general and local conditions — are identical; 
in addition, certain external aids are given for the different 
kinds of displacement. 

Via vi Capsules are to be used as directed. 

Douche. A vaginal douche before placing the cap- 
sule is necessary, as by cleansing the tract it facilitates the 
absorption of the capsular contents. If profuse leucorrhea 
exists, a douche and capsule are required night and morn- 
ing. (See Vaginal Douches, final chapter.) 

Via vi Cerate. The cerate is to be applied over the 
entire spine and abdomen once daily, for thirty minutes 
over each part. (See Cerate on Spine, Cerate on Abdomen, 
same chapter.) 

Reclining Abdominal Massage. If the sufferer is 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 269 

tired at night, or the room is cold, or there are not suffi- 
cient conveniences, the cerate should be rubbed thorough- 
ly over the abdomen while in bed. (See Individual 
Abdominal Massage, same chapter.) 

Pendent Abdominal Massage (see directions, same 
chapter) is highly useful unless there is frequent flooding 
or the bladder is involved, in either of which conditions 
it must not be used. 

Massage of Perineum. The space between the rectal 
orifice and the vaginal orifice should be thoroughly 
kneaded with the cerate once a day. (See Massage of 
Perineum, final chapter.) 

Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Via vi Royal should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there 
is any tendency to constipation. (See Viavi Laxative, 
also Kneading of Abdomen, final chapter.) 



POSITIONS 

FOR ANTEVERSION 

Spread a quilt on the floor. Lie on it, on the back, 
with two pillows, one on top of the other, under the but- 
tocks, and the feet on a low stool or the lower rounds of 
a chair; or lie on a lounge, putting the feet over the head 
of it and several pillows under the buttocks. This will 
tend to let the womb fall backward into its proper 
position. In this position apply the cerate on the ab- 
domen. (The Knee-Chest Position for retroversion is 
useful also in some cases of anteversion.) 



FOR RETROVERSION AND PROLAPSUS 

Knee-Chest Position when there is pressure on 
the rectum. At night, after getting into bed, proceed as 
follows: Get upon the knees, resting the chest on the bed, 
so as to have the hips as high as possible and the chest as 



270 VIAVI HYGIENE 

low as possible. Separate the walls of the vagina with the 
fingers, so as to admit the air. The weight of the uterus 
will cause it to drop back to a more natural position. Lie 
down, and do not get upon the feet again till morning 
unless it is absolutely necessary. 

Tampon for Prolapsus and Retroversion. Procure 
•&t a drug store or a chemist's some absorbent wool and 
absorbent cotton. Make a roll of the wool about twice 
the size of the thumb, or larger if necessary, and around 
this roll a layer of the absorbent cotton. Cut the roll 
thus made into three - inch lengths and tie a cotton string 
tightly about the center of each piece. This will form a 
light, fluffy tampon, which may be inserted in the vagina 
for temporary support in prolapsus. Empty the contents 
of six Viavi capsules into half a cup of olive oil. Mix 
thoroughly. Saturate one of the tampons in this mixture, 
and after taking a morning vaginal douche, assume the 
knee-chest position and while in this position insert the 
saturated tampon in the vagina. This will form a tem- 
porary support for the womb during the day, and at the 
same time the muscles and ligaments will absorb the cap- 
sules. Two douches should be taken daily, one before 
inserting the tampon, and one after withdrawing it, just 
before retiring. Then a Viavi capsule should be inserted. 

Baths. The baths most convenient should be taken, 
(See Baths, final chapter.) The Hygienic Department, 
if written to, will advise individually as to what bath will 
be the best. 

Hot Compress. A hot compress (see final chapter for 
directions) on the abdomen should be used twice a week if 
the inflammation is severe. 

Cold Compress. A cold compress (see final chapter 
for directions) on the abdomen should be used twice a 
week instead of the hot compress, if the inflammation has 
existed for some time and there is profuse and frequent 
menstruation. 

. Hot and Cold Compress Alternately. Where con- 
tinued use of either the hot or the cold compress debili- 
tates and is not followed by marked beneficial changes, 
the alternate use of the hot and the cold compress for 



DISPLACEMENT OF THE WOMB 271 

one hour is advised. The hot and the cold compress should 
be alternated every ten minutes. 

The Hygienic Department will be pleased to suggest, 
on application to it, additional aids where satisfactory 
progress is not being made. 



PESSARIES 

A pessary, commonly used under ordinary methods 
of treatment to cure displacements, is merely a mechanical 
makeshift at relief to prop the displaced womb partially 
into position. This is done to the great injury of the 
womb itself, its ligaments, and adjacent organs and tissues. 
No hard, foreign substance can be placed in the vagina and 
allowed to remain for any length of time without doing 
injury. 

Stem pessaries, which are partially inserted into the 
uterine cavity, are dangerous, as they frequently cut 
through the walls of the womb, especially when the walls 
are soft and inclined to bend upon themselves. 

Those in the form of oblong rings so greatly distend 
the vaginal walls that ulceration frequently results. We 
saw an illustration of this in a case where extensive ulcer- 
ation had occurred. The pessary had imbedded itself in 
the walls of the vagina so deeply that they in time grew 
partially over it, requiring a surgical operation to remove it. 

The cup pessary allows the neck of the womb to rest 
in a receptacle resembling a cup. By its use a constant 
irritation is kept up, as the womb is continually moving. 
Few can wear this kind of support for any length of time. 

A pessary cannot reduce the enlargement, which is 
the cause of the displacement, nor strengthen the muscular 
supports, which are by it entirely relieved of their func- 
tion; hence injury follows its use, after serious damage 
has been wrought the tissues by pressure. The vaginal 
secretions corrode the pessary if metal, and accumula- 
tions occur if it is made of rubber. In time, the pressure 
may be so much as to cause perforation of the vaginal 
walls, allowing the escape of urine and fecal matter into 
the vagina. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



THE FALLOPIAN TUBES 

(and some of their diseases) 

THE Fallopian tubes are described in the chapter on 
The Generative Organs of Women. The closest 
structural and functional relation exists, among 
the Fallopian tubes, the womb and the ovaries; 
for this reason, inflammation of one is likely to involve 
the others. 

Inflammation of the Fallopian tubes is called salpin- 
gitis, of which there are three kinds, — the acute (which is 
often caused by infection), the chronic and the catarrhal. 

The tubes, from inflammation, may 
The Results of become displaced, enlarged, elongated, 
Salpingitis and twisted or bent into knuckles. 
In severe inflammation they become 
closed, and the secretions, which may be abundant, 
accumulate within them, producing distension and 
elongation, often causing them to become convoluted 
and to hang down by the side of the uterus in a sausage- 
like body. 

Sometimes inflammation renders the tube very easily 
broken, and the small fimbria which connect it with the 
ovary become severed. Stricture of the tube also results. 
Where pus forms and is held in the tube we have a pelvic 
abscess. Unless salpingitis is checked by rational treat- 
ment, the tubes may become adhered to adjacent parts. 
The onset of salpingitis may be very severe, or it may 
be mild. The causes are much the same as those pro- 
ducing inflammation of the womb and ovaries, and the 
symptoms are very similar. The Fallopian tubes are 
simply prolongations of the womb; they are only four 



THE FALLOPIAN TUBES 273 

inches in length, and the ovaries are attached not only to 
them, but to the womb as well, by the short ovarian liga- 
ment , a perfect loop being thus formed on either side of the 
womb. These organs, being closely connected and held 
within a very small space, cannot be successfully treated 
separately; they must be treated as a whole. 

Extended observation of tubal troubles 
Treatment for under the Viavi system of treatment 
Salpingitis has shown excellent results where the 
treatment has been thorough and per- 
sistent. Obstructions have been overcome, so that the 
tubes could discharge their accumulations; in other 
instances suppuration ceased and its products were 
absorbed and eliminated. Catarrhal conditions here 
have yielded as readily as elsewhere. 

In order to avoid the danger of great tubal distension 
and rupture, followed by peritonitis, any inflammatory 
condition of the tubes should be promptly taken in hand 
and the treatment persisted in till recovery is secured. 

Recovery from chronic salpingitis is necessarily slow, 
but experience has shown that the time is determined 
largely by the fidelity and intelligence with which the 
treatment was followed, and the condition of the sufferer's 
recuperative powers. 

(The treatment for inflammation of the Fallopian 
tubes is the same as that for inflammation of the ovaries.) 

Xo satisfactory treatment for infective 
In Cases of disease of the Fallopian tubes has been 
Infection found. While beneficial results have 

been secured in such cases under the 
Viavi system of treatment, they may have been due to a 
general strengthening of the system, and therefore would 
appear logical; but the condition is so refractory, the 
recuperative powers of the sufferer so important an ele- 
ment, the treatment likely to be so long, tedious and dis- 
couraging, with uncertainty of results, that the treatment 
is not recommended for this distressing affliction, it not 
being intended for any of these infectious diseases. At 



274 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the same time, we know of no other beneficial treatment, 
and unless the condition is at least held in abeyance, 
advice to have the tubes removed by operation may be 
expected. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



THE OVARIES 

(and some of their diseases) 

THE ovaries are described in the chapter on The 
Generative Organs of Women. As they are the 
center of a woman's generative system, an affec- 
tion of them is a serious threat to the basis of 
her womanliness. 

The wonderful potencies exhibited by these small and 
seemingly insignificant organs, which produce the eggs in 
which all human life originates, are not confined to them. 
They in turn are merely the organs, the means of expres- 
sion, of the complex and mysterious forces that ramify 
throughout a woman's being; but without these organs to 
express the forces that they represent, the forces them- 
selves become crippled or powerless. One cannot talk if 
one's tongue is cut out. One cannot see if one's eyes are 
removed. So a woman cannot give full expression to her 
womanliness if her ovaries are diseased or removed. Yet 
their removal in disease may be expected by those who 
depend on ordinary methods of treatment. 

Inflammation of the ovaries (ovaritis) 
The Nature of may be acute or chronic. The acute 
Ovaritis form is that which has existed but a 

short time; the chronic is that in which 
the inflammation has become firmly established. Its 
character is similar to that of inflammation anywhere 
else in the body. The nature and tendencies of inflam- 
mation have been discussed in the chapters on Congestion 
and Inflammation, The Generative Organs of Women, 
Menstruation, etc., together with the peculiar adaptive- 
f thfi Viavi system of treatment to these conditions 



276 VIAVI HYGIENE 

and the results that have been secured from its use. 
Equally brilliant have been its achievements in ovarian 
troubles. 

The left ovary is oftener affected than the right, 
because the upper part of the rectum is on that side, the 
pressure from the passing fecal matter, particularly in 
constipation, acting as an irritant, and also because the 
left side of the cervix is oftener lacerated than the right. 

The causes of ovaritis are many, among 
The Causes of them a sudden suppression of the 
Ovaritis menses, extension of inflammation from 

surrounding parts, infection, excesses, 
astringent or cold-water injections, abortions, miscar- 
riages, displacements of the pelvic organs, any condition 
that tends to weaken or impede the circulation, pessaries, 
an improper use of instruments, and cauterization of the 
cervix. 

The ease with which the ovaries sympathize with 
other generative organs that are diseased is explained by 
the closely related nervous and circulatory systems mak- 
ing all these organs parts of a whole. Not only that, 
but as the other organs are the servants of the ovaries, 
the ovarian functions are impaired and disease invited if 
the servants are diseased. "The uterus and its append- 
ages" is a misleading phrase. The incorrect inference 
from it is that the womb is the center of the generative 
system, and that the ovaries are among the organs inferior 
to it. The reverse is the truth. The ovaries are the 
organs demanding the most care and the most jealous 
preservation. 

Ovaritis being, as a rule, complicated 

The Symptoms of with other inflammatory processes, the 

Ovaritis symptoms are many and varying. 

The affected ovary or ovaries may be 

enlarged and tender, with pains radiating at intervals or 

continually to the sides and down the lower part of the 

back. Pain in the ovarian region of a dull, aching or 

burning character, aggravated by moving about or by a 



THE OVARIES 277 

sudden jar, is characteristic. Pain in the groin is a fre- 
quent symptom, and the leg on the affected side is often 
kept partially bent to ease the pain. Pains in the leg 
may be so severe as to cause lameness. Considerable 
pain may be experienced at stool or while urinating. 
Hysterical symptoms are often developed, and frequently 
profuse leucorrhea. All symptoms are aggravated as the 
rual period approaches, and menstruation will be 
painful and generally profuse. With some sufferers the 
pain ceases when the flow is fully established. A little 
excitement will often cause the ovary to throb and burn. 
The painful symptoms accompanying ovaritis are 
caused also by a diseased cervix and by anteversion. 
This has frequently led to a wrong diagnosis and brought 
the sufferer under surgical treatment, the mistaken 
diagnosis being discovered only when the abdomen has 
been cut open and healthy ovaries exposed to view. 
Other instances in which similar cutting is done on a 
wrong diagnosis are when the ovaries suffer with neu- 
ralgic pains from conditions elsewhere in the body. . In 
both cases the ovaries are generally removed when the 
operation has progressed thus far, on the theory that if 
they are out they will give no trouble! As they were not 
responsible for the pains, no relief is experienced from 
their removal. On the contrary, all painful symptoms 
become intensified and many new ones may be added. 

Under the Viavi system of treatment 

Mutilation May it has been demonstrated that ovario- 

Be Avoided tomy (removal of the ovaries), advised 

in many cases, was unnecessary. We 

prefer, of course, that women take their ovarian troubles 

in time and thereby avert all reasonable excuse for the 

removal of their ovaries. The Viavi system of treatment 

has established a firm and extensive record in that field, as 

have been expected from an understanding of its 

aim in aid Nature, and its methods designed for doing so. 

But while it is far better that the ovaries be restored to 

health and preserved to their owner, yet if their removal 

has occurred in the absence of a knowledge concerning 



278 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the Viavi system of treatment, no such gloomy outlook 
as that presented by the surgeons quoted in the chapter 
on A Talk with Men should be accepted if the treatment 
is employed and persisted in after the operation. Many 
women so operated on and suffering in consequence have 
been brought to a condition of peace and comfort that 
they had never known before. The lost ovaries cannot 
be restored, but the violence of the readjustment which 
the whole organism must make after the operation, has 
often been eased, the nervous system strengthened and 
steadied for its work, the circulation started again in a 
normal flow, and other disorganized functions harmonized. 
With local and general conditions made as sound as pos- 
sible, the expectation is that a tendency to a cancerous 
development may be averted. 

The advance of surgical skill has so much reduced the 
danger of dying under operations or from blood-poisoning 
resulting from them that it has served greatly to increase 
unnecessary removal of the ovaries. Thus the harm has 
been increased. To discharge a woman as cured by such 
an operation is a different thing from following her his- 
tory in the after-years. 

We do not hold with those who believe 
Our Position on that operations should never be per- 
Operations formed. When the sufferer has neg- 
lected her condition so long that there 
seems to be no chance for gentler efforts to succeed, or 
when the method of treatment employed upon her had 
permitted such a condition to arise, operations sometimes 
appear to offer the only promise of comparative relief. 
The aim of this treatment is to reach the sufferer before 
such a condition arrives. Unless Nature is helped in 
time, the vital forces may be so reduced and disorganized 
as eventually to prohibit recovery by any method of treat- 
ment. In such cases operations may be offered as a 
necessary palliative, being the less of two evils. But 
every person who knows what an operation means will 
refuse to consent to it until all reasonable methods 
have been examined. The operation should be the last 



THE OVARIES 279 

resort. We cannot say too often nor make it too impres- 
sive that very many women who have been told that an 
operation was their only chance, have recovered without 
it by employing the Viavi system of treatment. In 
offering it in such cases before extreme measures are 
employed, we are only doing what we should wish to be 
done by. 

Generally much persuasion, argument 

Different Moral and threatening are required to make 

Effects a woman submit to an operation. 

Perhaps it is meant as a kindness that 
she is not informed of the significance of the operation, 
and the effects it will have on all the remainder of her 
life. On the contrary, she gets the idea that it is some 
short cut to perfect restoration or relief. In the process 
she learns nothing and acquires harmful views. Worst of 
all, some of them, proud of having been operated on, use 
their influence in urging other women to have a similar 
experience. 

Her situation under the Viavi system of treatment is 
very different. There she learns the laws of her being, 
the errors that caused her affliction, and an intelligent 
mode of life that will enable her to live wisely and main- 
tain her health in all ways. She learns the value to her- 
self, and to her husband, children, friends and home, of 
her wholeness and strength, and the power of womanly 
perfection. She comes to realize that the radical read- 
justments demanded of her organism by an operation 
are serious enough in a physical sense, but that the mental 
and moral injury is far more profound, — a factor rarely 
considered. Scientific persons call the removal of a 
woman's ovaries castration, and the victim a castrated 
woman. But those unpleasant terms are never used in 
her hearing before the operation is performed. 

Under the mere knowledge that she secures by means 
of the Viavi system of treatment, to say nothing of the 
sound physical condition in which she may place herself, 
she offers a singular contrast to the woman who has suf- 
fered from the removal of her ovaries. 



280 VIAVI HYGIENE 

If the finger, arm or leg be amputated, 

Physical Effects the stump remains exceedingly sensi- 

of Surgery tive, and has to be carefully protected, 

even though it is covered with skin. If 

any part of the generative tract is cut, innumerable nerves 

are severed, and there is no thick skin with which the 

severed ends may be covered. Hence these nerve-ends 

suffer incessant irritation, and this is constantly nagging 

the brain centers and drawing upon the strength of the 

system. 

Again, as the blood supply to these parts is abundant, 
large numbers of blood vessels also are severed; the larger 
ones are tied, the smaller ones are caught Avithin the 
stumps or the scar tissue which forms. It is in these 
that cancer so frequently develops. The beautiful 
mechanism of the abdominal circulation is badly injured, 
the blood-current is impeded, and Nature rebels. 

A certain amount of inflammation follows these opera- 
tions, and peritoneal adhesions form from that condition. 
The evils of this are set forth in the chapter on The Peri- 
toneum. 

Let us observe the conduct of the millions of nerves 
that have been severed by the operation. The removal 
of the organs that they were designed to govern deprives, 
them of the work that they were created to do, and 
besides, the cutting of them is a direct violence. The 
integrity of the nervous system is therefore impaired, 
and thus the source of all healthy physical and mental 
activity is weakened. 

Every organ in the body has a special space allotted 
to it. Ingenious compactness is observed upon opening 
the body. All the internal organs are dependent upon 
the others in a mechanical sense to a greater or less 
extent. Each organ needs exactly its own natural 
space, no more, no less, for its health. If this space is 
either increased or diminished, harmony is destroyed, 
and the entire body must suffer. If an organ be removed 
its suspensory ligaments are severed, partially or wholly; 
this weakens the entire body. Other of the viscera, 
especially those just above the removed organs, sag down 



THE OVARIES 281 

out of place; others, just above them, also sag, and so on, 
until all the viscera become displaced more or less. 

The severing of the abdominal walls, a serious feature 
of these operations, is discussed in the chapter on The 
Abdominal Walls. 

Castrated women are prematurely, and 
Other Effects of therefore unnaturally, forced into the 
Castration change of life. When this change 
occurs naturally, an exquisite read- 
justment of all the functions takes place gradually. 
Every nerve, every fiber, every cell is called upon to do 
its particular share of the work; but in this elaborate 
process the presence of the ovaries is necessary, as it is 
through them that the genital life is largely established 
and normally given up. Many of the ills that a castrated 
woman suffers come from her being forced unnaturally 
into the change of life. 

Shock, a dreaded accompaniment of operations, 
comes from violence to the nervous system generally by 
violence to some part of it, and its degree depends partly 
on the number of nerves injured and partly on the general 
nervous condition of the sufferer. These general con- 
ditions are what introduce the element of uncertainty, 
and explain the deaths that occur from shock under the 
operation. 

We recall a case in which each of the ovaries was of 
the size of a small orange. An operation had been ad- 
vised as the only thing that could be done. It was 
declined, and the ovaries gradually returned to their 
natural size and condition under the Viavi system of 
treatment, and the woman became sufficiently healthy 
to give birth to a fine child. 

It occurred to one eminent physician 

Failure Proved to follow up one hundred cases of 

by Statistics ovariotomy performed in the Broca 

and St. Louis Hospitals, Paris. The 

of his investigations, published in 1897, were as 

follows: "Of castrated women, 78 per cent, subsequently 



282 VIAVI HYGIENE 

suffered a notable loss of memory; 60 per cent, were 
troubled with flashes of heat and vertigo; 50 per cent, 
confessed to a change in their character, having become 
more irritable, less patient, and some of them so changed 
as to give way to violent and irresponsible fits of temper; 
42 per cent, suffered more or less from mental depression, 
and 10 per cent, were so depressed as to verge upon 
melancholia. In 75 per cent, there was a diminution in 
sexual desire, and some of these explained that they were 
sexually dead; 13 per cent, were not relieved from the 
pain from which they suffered; 35 per cent, increased in 
weight, and soon became abnormally fat. Some com- 
plained of a diminution in the power of vision; 12 per 
cent, noted a change in the tone of their voice to a heavier, 
more masculine quality. Some 15 per cent, suffered from 
irregular attacks of skin affections; 25 per cent, had severe 
headaches, as a rule increased in intensity at the catamenial 
period. Equally as many complained of nightmare, 
more or less constant, while about 5 per cent, suffered 
from insomnia. In a few cases there existed a sexual 
hyper-excitability not present prior to castration. I 
particularly noted a few cases presenting chiefly gastric 
reflexes, where without any premonitory symptoms or 
apparent cause the stomach would reject food or refuse 
to prepare it for intestinal digestion, and the subsequent 
distress following the fermentation compelled the patient 
to seek relief. It should be noted that usually these 
troubles were more marked in women under thirty or 
thirty-three years of age." 

We have already seen, according to another authority, 
that 35 per cent, of those who recover from the operation 
for the removal of one or both ovaries die of cancer 
induced by the operation. 

This showing is remarkable enough, but 

Other Injuries it will be noted that some very impor- 

Inflicted tant things are omitted. It fails to 

show that a single one of these cases 

escaped one or more of the troubles enumerated; and the 

presumption is that not one of them did. Thus, of the 



THE OVARIES 283 

50 who did not "confess" to having "suffered a change of 
character, becoming irritable and giving way to violent 
fits of temper." we may be certain that 39 suffered a 
''notable loss of memory," that 5 were so depressed as to 
verge upon melancholia, and so on. In other words, if 
one of these unfortunate women escaped one affliction, 
we may be certain that she did not escape one or more 
of the others. 

Of course the foregoing report fails to show also 
deaths from diseases that gained a foothold as the result 
of the weakened and deranged condition of the nervous 
system from the operation, and also deaths that occurred 
during or soon after the operation. It was only the 
women alive at the time the investigation was made who 
were included. 

Women are cut open on a wrong diagnosis of ovarian 
inflammation, and then it is discovered that the cutting 
was unnecessary. Infinitely worse than cutting open on 
an erroneous diagnosis is what is termed "exploratory 
surgery." This is when a woman is cut open simply to 
find out what the trouble is! That may sound incredible 
to the uninformed, who know nothing of the harm done 
by opening the abdomen, but it is not only a fact — it is 
a very common one. 

Ovaries that are displaced, sensitive 
Conditions That and swollen have yielded in some cases 
Frighten rapidly to the Viavi system of treat- 

ment, others more slowly. This, of 
course, means here, as elsewhere, when the condition had 
not progressed until it had become incurable or malignant, 
which is not of frequent occurrence. Many women sub- 
mit to operations on hearing that there is a collection of 
pus somewhere within the pelvic or abdominal regions, 
and that an immediate operation will be necessary to 
prevent blood-poison. While these conditions are serious, 
and demand immediate attention, the large numbers of 
•i who have placed themselves directly under the Viavi 
;tem of treatment, and have grown safe and sound, 
furnish evidence that even though there be pus, it has not 



284 VIAVI HYGIENE 

always warranted an operation. We are not suggesting 
that the sufferer take any risk, but merely that she or her 
husband go thoroughly into the matter, seek all possible 
light before taking an irretrievable step, and be convinced 
that life is in immediate or early danger; for the outlook 
from an operation is the gravest that can confront all 
concerned. (See chapter, A Talk With Men About 
Women.) Under the Viavi system of treatment there is 
nothing radical or dangerous, no mutilation, no dis- 
astrous after-effects. 

In ovarian troubles it has been not at 

The Significance all uncommon for the sufferers to feel 

of Pains decidedly worse after begininng the 

Viavi system of treatment. The in- 
flammatory process had been of a destructive nature, and 
the tissues and nerves were largely devoid of feeling in 
many cases. As a healthy reaction was established, the 
sense of feeling returned, the nerves resumed their func- 
tion, and the brain was notified by the signal, pain, that 
an abnormal condition existed. The part of the nervous 
system here implicated acts independently of our will, 
and the brain becomes the overseer, so to speak, while 
the repair work progresses to a finish; hence these pains 
which arose were simply signals and a part of the curative 
process. Often great amounts of diseased tissue and 
black, offensive clots of blood were expelled from the 
vagina and rectum after the sufferer had been under 
treatment for several months, she previously having felt 
bad, or much worse than before coming under the treat- 
ment. New pains, aches and disagreeable symptoms 
have appeared, and the one who did not understand that 
the body was growing stronger and enabled to do this 
wprk might have become bewildered and unable to 
account for her seemingly growing worse. But this fact, 
that one may feel worse for a time under the Viavi system 
of treatment than before employing it, has come to be 
well understood as a favorable symptom. With recovered 
strength, Nature was making a vigorous fight for health, 
but gave ability to bear discomfort. 



THE OVARIES 

The various parts and organs used what 

No Two Cases they could of the treatment and to the 

Identical best interests of the body. No. 1 had 

ovarian trouble, but her progress varied 
greatly from that of Xo. 2, who also suffered from dis- 
eased ovaries. So we could select a hundred cases of 
ovarian troubles, not two of the sufferers having exactly 
the same experience while under the treatment; but the 
results were all the same. Here the Viavi system of 
treatment differs from all other forms of treatment. If 
the inflammatory process had extended a little further in 
one case than in another, causing an entirely different 
form of suffering, it was overcome by exactly the same 
treatment, as the cause was the same. A different 
remedy for each ache and pain is not required, but if the 
cause be removed by assisting Nature, as is the aim of 
the Viavi system of treatment, the results may be ex- 
pected to be the same where the treatment is used early 
and sufficiently long. 

The sensitiveness of even healthy 
Treatment for ovaries to nervous disturbances should 
Ovaries warn the sufferer to give her personal 

conduct the strictest attention. Any- 
thing that unduly stimulates the nerves, functions, mind 
or emotions should be avoided, and the sufferer should 
keep herself as quiet as possible without neglecting a 
reasonable amount of outdoor exercise and sunshine, and 
the society of cheerful friends and books. A considerate 
husband, realizing the nervous unbalance into which his 
wife's condition has thrown her to a greater or less extent, 
will make every condition of her life as peaceful as pos- 
sible. 

In carrying out the following treatment the sufferer 
must avoid being overzealous in its use, and must be very 
careful not to give herself pain in the ovarian region by 
a too vigorous application of the cerate. Patience, gentle- 
ness and thoroughness are essential. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used once daily, at night, over 
the entire abdomen, the spine and the entire back, 



286 VIAVI HYGIENE 

whether the trouble is with one ovary or both, and down 
over the buttocks. (See directions for using the cerate in 
final chapter.) The cerate should be used on the groins 
and legs also if pains are there. If the ovarian -condition 
is severe, the cerate may be used several times a day. It 
can do no harm, and the more of it that is absorbed, the 
better, but no more should be applied than can be ab- 
sorbed. 

Pendent Abdominal Massage should be used at 
least twice a week (see directions in final chapter), as 
adhesions are likely to be present, and the massage will 
assist in loosening them for their readier absorption under 
the treatment. But this massage should not be used if 
there is pus in or about either ovary. 

Compresses. A hot compress on the abdomen (see 
Hot Compress, final chapter) should be used once a week, 
covering the entire abdomen, so as to include the ovarian 
region on both sides. Alternating it, the cold compress 
on abdomen (see Cold Compress, same chapter) may be 
used, but with great caution to ascertain whether it pro- 
duces the slightest general feeling of chilliness; if it does, 
it should be avoided altogether. Under no circumstances 
should the system or any part of the body be unduly dis- 
tressed in the application of the treatment, and the suf- 
ferer should strictly avoid fatiguing herself in using the 
treatment. 

Douches. A moderately hot douche should be taken 
lying down, every night, just before retiring (see Vaginal 
Douches, final chapter); if there is a copious leucorrhea, 
this douche should be used both night and morning. 

Via vi Capsule is to be used in the vagina daily, at 
night, after the douche. If a whole capsule' causes so 
pronounced a reaction that much distress follows, half a 
capsule should be used for about two weeks or a month. 
As soon as the system has accommodated itself to the 
half capsule, the whole capsule should be used. If a 
standstill appears finally to be reached, double strength 
capsules are advised, to maintain a steady advance. 

Viavi Liquid should be used as directed. 



THE OVARIES 287 

Viavi Suppositories are to be used if there is any 
affection of the rectum, including piles. 

Viavi Tablettes are to be used if there is indigestion. 

Viavi Laxative is to be used if there is constipation. 

Any pain or unhealthy condition aside from that of 
the ovaries aggravates their disease and should receive 
careful attention. 

Baths that experience shows to give the most com- 
fort and are best suited to the sufferer's surroundings 
should be used. (See Baths, final chapter.) Their value 
is in assisting to establish a good circulation. 

Diet should be light, abundant and wholesome, with 
a strict avoidance of any foods or drinks that stimulate or 
cause distress of any kind. If coffee or tea seems neces- 
sary. let.it be very weak. Anything exciting or depress- 
ing the heart or the nerves aggravates the condition and 
retards recovery. 

Rest in bed during the menstrual period, or, if that 
is impracticable, lying on a couch as much as possible, 
with clothes loosened, at that time, will greatly facilitate 
recovery, and a nap every afternoon will be beneficial. 
Vigorous exercise, lifting and all wearying occupations 
should be- strictly avoided. Physical or mental fatigue 
is very bad for these troubles and retards recovery. 



CHAPTER XL. 



THE PERITONEUM 

(peritonitis, adhesions) 
PERITONITIS 

The peritoneum is a closed sac lining the pelvis and 
abdomen. The contents of these cavities are not enclosed 
in it, but rather shut out of it, except the free ends of 
the Fallopian tubes, which open into it. The surface of 
the peritoneum is as great probably as the external surface 
of the body. We find a part of it in close proximity to 
the great artery of the liver; a prolongation of it separates 
the diaphragm from the liver, the liver from the stomach, 
the small intestines from the large; the intestines from the 
uterine organs and pelvic viscera. A part lies between 
the rectum and the womb, another part between the womb 
and the bladder. . It forms, as well, a part of the ligaments 
that support the womb, ovaries, etc., which would 
lie helpless on the floor of the pelvis were it not for an 
ingenious arrangement of these ligaments to hold them 
in place and give them the freedom and ease that they 
require. Here again we see the wonderful provision 
that Nature has made for the care of these organs. 

When all or any part of this extensive membrane is 
inflamed, we have peritonitis, an inflammation that often 
results disastrously, even fatally, largely by reason of its 
great extent. It may be either acute or chronic. 

The causes of acute peritonitis are 

Symptoms of the many and varied. It may come from 

Acute Form an external injury, a blow, a fall, a 

penetrating wound, infection, exposure 

to cold and wet, abortions, unclean instruments in making 



THE PERITONEUM 289 

examinations t and surgical operations. It may also be 
caused by an extension of inflammation of the womb, 
Fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, liver, spleen, by child- 
bed fever and abnormal menstruation. 

Pain, severe and stabbing, is always present in peri- 
tonitis, and is increased by the slightest motion or touch. 
The sufferer lies on her back, with legs drawn up. She 
uses only the chest muscles in breathing, and avoids all 
action of the abdominal muscles. The weight of the bed- 
clothing cannot be borne. 

The inflammation seldom involves the 

The Danger of whole peritoneum, but only a part or 

Peritonitis parts. No inflammation can exist in 

the abdominal and pelvic cavities but 
that certain parts of the peritoneum become involved, 
sometimes extensively. The peritoneum possesses won- 
derful powers of absorption, and heals rapidly under 
proper treatment. Its extreme sensitiveness is a frequent 
cause of death from shock produced by operations within 
the pelvic and abdominal regions. 

Acute peritonitis is dangerous, and the best medical 
attention should be obtained at once. The danger varies 
according to the cause, complication and extent. The 
minute vessels become filled with fluids varying in quan- 
tity and character, and they ooze through the membrane. 
Sometimes the oozing is very extensive, and the abdomen, 
in consequence, becomes greatly distended; but owing to 
the fact that the fluid is composed largely of serum, it 
is easily absorbed. 

When the inflammation is of a fibrinous nature, the 
fluid is sticky and gluey; this is apt to cause adhesions. 
The surfaces of the peritoneum may become adhered 
together <vhere they are in contact, and form sacs in 
which the fluid is retained; or strings and bands of fibrin 
may be formed, which fasten the intestines together, 
causing strangulation of the bowels. The womb, Fallopian 
tubes, and ovaries also may be bound down by adhesions. 
(See Adhesions.) 



290 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The Viavi system of treatment for 

Treatment for acute peritonitis is intended to control 
Peritonitis this great inflammation as speedily as 
possible, and at the same time to 
regulate the circulation in the affected membrane. It 
may save life if the attendance of a physician cannot be 
immediately secured, or where no physician is available; 
but it is not intended to take the place of skillful medical 
attendance. 

Although a highly dangerous and a very painful dis- 
ease, and quick in its progress, it is simply an inflamma- 
tion of the peritoneum, the danger lying in the great ex- 
tent of the membrane and the rapidity with which the 
inflammation may spread over a large area of it. 

It is imperative that the sufferer go at once to bed 
and that the extremities be kept warm. 

Viavi Capsule. A capsule should be used in the 
vagina night and morning, 

Hot Douche. A hot vaginal douche, taken in bed 
with the use of a bed-pan, should be employed before the 
capsule is inserted. (See Vaginal Douches, final chapter.) 
If there is no bed-pan and one is not immediately pro- 
curable, use the first capsule without a douche, and at 
once procure a bed-pan. 

Viavi Cerate. With care not to expose the sufferer's 
body to the air, unless the room is very warm, and prefer- 
ably not at all, have an attendant gently but thoroughly 
rub the entire length of the spine and well down on the 
sides and flanks with the cerate for thirty minutes, being 
careful not to cause pain by too heavy pressure. (See 
Application of the Cerate, final chapter.) Then the sufferer, 
on the back with the knees drawn up, should have a hot- 
foot bath in a tub under the covers. While the feet are 
in the hot water, wring out in cold water a thin piece of 
cloth or a light face towel and lay it on the abdomen and 
stomach under the covers, with care not to cause pain. 
This will quickly become warm, when it should be re- 
placed with a cold one by gradually slipping it under the 
warm one. The application of this cold compress will 
require patience and gentleness, and should be kept up 



THE PERITONEUM 291 

for about an hour. At first, by reason of the tenderness 
of the abdomen, it may be possible only to lay the cloth 
on, but after a while a little gentle pressure can be borne 
in making the compress lie snug. At the end of the hour 
discontinue them, and then apply the cerate. 

If the abdomen is very tender, melt about a teaspoon- 
ful of Viavi cerate in a cup set in hot water, and with a 
camel's hair brush (or very gently with the hand, if it can 
be borne) apply the melted cerate entirely over the ab- 
domen and stomach, and well down over the flanks. 
Cover the entire region with oiled silk and this with cotton 
batting, on which lay a hot-water bag, over the abdomen, 
if it can be borne, and with only a little water in it. Cover 
this in turn with more batting, remove the foot-tub, dry 
the feet under the covers, and let the sufferer rest. This 
treatment should be given twice a da}', or oftener if the 
condition is very severe. If there is no oiled silk or cotton 
batting on hand and it cannot be procured, a cloth on 
which mutton tallow, previously boiled and cooled, has 
been spread, will serve to lay over the cerate, but it is 
not so useful in keeping the abdomen warm. 

It will be observed that this cold compress differs from 
the ordinary cold compress in being very thin and light 
in weight. That is because of the extreme sensitiveness 
due to the peritonitis. If the sufferer can easily bear two 
or more thicknesses of cloth, which may be possible after 
a few applications of the single thickness, they should 
be employed, as they do not become warm so quickly and 
therefore do not have to be replaced so often. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Royal should be taken as directed. 

Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is 
constipation. Care should be used not to cause purging. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if 
there is any affection of the rectum, including piles. 

Viavi Tablettes should be used as directed if there 
is indigestion. 

Baths. As soon as the sufferer can move without 
pain, a hot bath followed by a cold spray should be taken 
once a day. (See Hot Bath and Cold Spray, final cha 



292 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Diet should be very light and mainly liquid, such as 
milk, broths, gruel, milk toast, or toast soaked in hot water, 
and should be taken in small quantities every three hours. 
Nothing heavy or difficult to digest should be eaten, or 
it may aggravate the condition or cause a relapse. 

The attack will run its course in from three days to a 
week or longer, depending on the severity of the attack and 
the condition of the sufferer; but recovery has been gen- 
erally quicker than under ordinary methods of treatment, 
and the results better. Adhesions are not nearly so 
likely to follow, but if they do, they should receive the 
treatment given in this chapter for adhesions. Great care 
should be taken not to leave the bed too soon; one should 
keep in bed several days after the last indication of ten- 
derness has disappeared, and should only very gradually 
return to a normal diet.. Under no circumstances should 
the bowels be neglected. 

Chronic peritonitis has much milder 

If Peritonitis symptoms than acute peritonitis, and 
Is Chronic is unaccompanied with fever. It is a 
prolific cause of adhesions, and at any 
time may light up into the acute form and prove highly 
dangerous, though not dangerous if that does not happen. 
The pain from it is somewhat similar to that caused by 
adhesions, but may be distinguished by not having a 
constant connection with certain movements of the 
body which experience has shown cause pain. 

Via vi Cerate should be used over the spine, abdomen 
and stomach once daily, care being taken not to cause 
pain in the abdomen. 

Hot Compress over the entire abdomen should be 
applied after each use of the cerate. 

Viavi Capsules should be used as directed. 

Hot Douche. A hot vaginal douche should be used 
once a day before the insertion of the capsule. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as, directed. " 

Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is 
any tendency to constipation, it being important to se- 
cure perfect regularity of bowel action. 



THE PERITONEUM 293 

Via vi Suppositories should be used if there are piles 
or other affection of the rectum. 

Via vi Tablettes should be used as directed if there 
is indigestion. 

Via vi Royal should be used as directed. 

Diet should be light and easily digested, but abund- 
ant and nutritious. 

Exercise, Rest and Sleep are exceedingly impor- 
tant. A walk every day, short of fatigue or pain, should 
be taken, and the couch should be sought in the middle 
of every afternoon, and if possible a sleep of a half hour 
or an hour should be taken. 



- ADHESIONS 

The adhesions here considered are those caused by 
inflammation of the peritoneum, which in health exudes 
serum in sufficient quantity to make it slippery, so that 
its surfaces touching each other may rub with frictionless 
ease. This affords a free movement which is essential 
to the health and proper function of the organs held or 
enveloped in the peritoneum, and is one of the many won- 
derful provisions of Nature. Inflammation of the peri- 
toneum often causes the abnormal production of a glue- 
like lymph, which tends to cause a sticking together of 
the surfaces of the peritoneum that touch or rub against 
each other. In a short time, often in a few hours, this 
sticking together becomes permanent, and the free and 
healthy movement of the organs held in the folds of the 
peritoneum is therefore prevented. Thus w T e have an 
abnormal condition, productive of discomfort, pain and 
disease. 

Inflammation of the peritoneum may 

The Origin of spread with great rapidity and leave 

Adhesions extensive adhesions. As the intestines 

are covered with the peritoneum almost 

their entire length, they may become matted in a -olid 



294 VIAVI HYGIENE 

mass; or the inflammation may be circumscribed, pro- 
ducing adhesions among the uterine organs. The fim- 
briated ends of the Fallopian tubes may adhere to the 
ovaries; or the womb, tubes and ovaries may all adhere 
to the surfaces adjacent to them. The more severe and 
extensive the inflammation, the greater the extent and 
firmness of the adhesions. 

The symptoms of adhesion are not easily differen- 
tiated from symptoms of other conditions, but there 
is generally a feeling of something being bound and of pain 
caused by motion. The arrest of any organ's activity 
interferes with its function. From this condition ner- 
vousness of all kinds arises, with a general bad effect upon 
the entire economy. 

As every disease of the uterine organs invites peritoneal 
inflammation and adhesions, the wise course is to avert 
that additional affliction by curing the original disease be- 
fore this complication has had time to arise. 

Adhesive tissue is of a low- grade, 

Character of containing no nerves and but a meagre 

Adhesion blood supply. Adhesions do not follow 

all inflammatory conditions, only those 
of a fibrinous character. It is largely a question of the 
gravity of the inflammation and the depth to which it 
affects the tissues beneath the peritoneum. Every in- 
flammatory condition, however, is a threat that the kind 
producing adhesions will be developed. 

Nor does every exudation of lymph mean that ad- 
hesions must necessarily follow. As soon as the exudation 
begins, the absorptive powers of the system come into 
play to dispose of it. If these powers are sufficiently 
strong, or the amount of lymph exuded is not greater than 
they can handle, the lymph will be absorbed and no 
adhesion will result. If the amount exuded in excess of 
that absorbed is great, a very dense and firm adhesion 
will result; but often the adhesion is so slight that it 
will separate of its own accord if assisted by a slight strain. 
Thus, adhesions of the womb in displacement have given 
way under the Viavi system of treatment, even before 



THE PERITONEUM 295 

beiiia; absorbed, and the womb has become reduced in size 
and enabled to resume its natural position. 

The ordinary method of treating ad- 
Operations for hesions is to cut the body open and 
Adhesions tear the adhesions loose by force, In 

the chapter on The Abdominal Walls, 
one may see one of the effects of this procedure. After 
the abdomen has been opened, the abdominal and pelvic 
organs are turned over and examined, and if possible the 
adhesions are forcibly loosened. It is unnecessary to 
point out what may happen in such a procedure. Nature 
had already given the clue to the proper treatment by 
showing her ability to get rid of much of the lymph before 
permanent adhesion occurred, and to get rid of it alto- 
gether in cases where no adhesions resulted. It was by 
absorption, in which process the blood took up the lymph 
and carried it away. 

The fact that adhesions have occurred does not mean 
that the natural absorptive powers have been lost, but 
merely that they were not sufficiently strong, by reason of 
some unnatural weakness. Whatever powers of absorp- 
tion the body has are still present, although adhesions 
exist, and if they had their natural strength, they would 
absorb the artificial binding substance that holds the peri- 
toneal surfaces together. Sufferers are generally told that 
the surfaces have "grown together," implying that their 
actual tissues had united. Nothing of the sort exists. 
The condition is almost identical with the sticking to- 
gether of paper by means of mucilage. The fabric of the 
two sheets has in no sense united or amalgamated. A 
foreign and more easily dissolved substance than the 
surrounding tissues is all that holds them together. If 
the paper is moistened, the mucilage melts and the sheets 
separate. 

If the nervous system and the circula- 
The Natural tion are normal, the blood will loosen, 
Process break up and take into the blood ves- 

sels the substance artificially holding 
the peritonea*! surfaces together. This is a natural a - 



296 VIAVI HYGIENE 

sorptive process, and is rapid or slow in proportion to 
the extent of the adhesions and the strength of the forces 
naturally at work to overcome them. Even without aid 
these natural powers are striving all the time to absorb 
the adhesions; they fail because of inadequacy. But if 
they are lent natural assistance that restores their in- 
tegrity, they will be able to absorb the binding substance 
and thus free the adhering surfaces. That is just what the 
Viavi system of treatment is designed to do, and satis- 
factory results have been abundantly secured by means of 
it, as might have been expected from an understanding of 
the principles on which it is based. Adhesions are caused 
by a product of the organism, which, as it has the power 
to produce, must have also the power to remove. Under 
the treatment, the adhesive substance has been gradually 
and naturally absorbed. In consequence, pain disappeared, 
comfort was secured, and the organs, hitherto tied down 
and cramped, and crippled for their work, found their 
natural places and condition. In many cases, where 
the womb was tied down by adhesions, producing 
distress and painful menstruation, it has regained its 
freedom, and the distress disappeared. 

The treatment for adhesions is the same as that for 
inflammation of the womb, which see. 



CHAPTER. XLI. 



THE ABDOMINAL WALLS 

FIRM, taut abdominal walls, as Nature intended them 
to be, are an imperative necessity to health. 
The}' are generally normal in men, whose mode of 
life encourages a healthy state in this particular, 
but loose, flabby abdominalwalls are often found in women, 
being traceable to irrational practices inducing weakness 
in these walls — such as tight lacing and neglect of a vigor- 
ous use of the bodily muscles. If the abdominal walls 
are weak, the pelvic contents are imperfectly supported, 
and consequently sag out of position, producing an injuri- 
ous disarrangement. Outside the Viavi system of treat- 
ment the importance of this part of the body and of its 
functions, has been virtually overlooked, and the walls 
are cut open as thoughtlessly as though their purpose 
extended no further than the skin covering a part of a 
leg or arm. Care of the abdominal walls and of their 
many functions, and the restoration of their tone and use, 
constitute an important feature of the Viavi system of 
treatment; for tense, firm abdominal walls are just as 
necessary to health as a strong spinal column, and no 
spending of time or care can be too lavish to preserve their 
natural character and usefulness. 

Failure to recognize the symptoms that 

Walls Injured accompany a loss of tonicity in this 

by Cutting region has led to all kinds of operations, 

from plastic surgery tc the removal 

of both womb and ovaries. As soon as a person loses the 

temporary benefit derived from a few weeks of enforced 

rest in bed, where the operation has placed her, she is 

frequently no better, and often her condition is much 

worse. The old symptoms return in an aggravated form — 



298 YIAVI HYGIENE 

headaches, backache, dragging-down pains, indigestion, 
constipation, mental depression, extreme irritability of 
the nerve centers of the abdomen, and inability to stand 
upon the feet for any length of time. Nothing has been 
done to strengthen the abdominal walls, and much has 
been done to destroy their strength and function. 

Disappointments have rarely or never followed the 
use of the Viavi system of treatment for lax abdom- 
inal walls, as through the medium of the Viavi cerate and 
its manner of application, natural strength and elas- 
ticity/and hence activity, were given then. This produced 
a delightful sense of comfort. 

The muscles of the abdomen have been 

Vital Uses of wonderfully and beautifully arranged 

the Walls for the purpose of securing strength and 

harmony of the internal organs and the 
work done by them. The good effects are not confined to 
the abdominal region, as these walls are very closely 
connected, functionally, with many remote parts of the 
body. They assist largely in the performance of many 
vital functions, besides supporting the abdominal viscera. 
These walls are powerfully exercised in expulsive efforts. 
They help to expel the child during labor, the feces from 
the rectum, the urine from the bladder, and the contents 
of the stomach in vomiting. They are also largely used 
in breathing, laughing, coughing, sneezing, singing, talk- 
ing and in all movements of the trunk. As they so largely 
assist in the performance of all these functions and many 
more, we see the necessity of their possessing not only 
strength, but great elasticity also, as their action must be 
both powerful and prompt. 

Displacement of the womb and ovaries seldom exists 
alone; as a rule there will be present also a sagging of the 
abdominal contents. The rational treatment for displace- 
ments of the generative organs includes the treatment 
of the displaced abdominal organs as well, and aims to 
restore to both the pelvic and abdominal viscera their 
healthy, elastic muscular supports, of which the abdominal 
walls form the larger part. 



THE ABDOMINAL WALLS 299 

The pelvic and abdominal cavities are 
The Benefits of not separated by a partition, but con- 
Strong Walls stitute one cavity; hence, what affects 
the contents of one affects the contents 
of the other. When the abdominal walls cannot assist 
the many organs to perform their various functions, the 
whole body is weakened and ailing. Here is where some 
of the good results have been obtained in the Yiavi 
system of treatment through the application of the cerate 
in a thorough manner over the abdominal region. L'nder 
this treatment, weariness has disappeared and the general 
health improved, as with healthy abdominal walls the 
many organs of the body are assisted in performing their 
special functions, while the viscera receive their proper 
support. 

Weak abdominal walls contribute to constipation, 
dyspepsia, palpitation of the heart, impeded respiration, 
kidney trouble and other disturbances. 

Every one is familiar with the great 

How the Abdomen weakness that exists when the walls 

Is Injured of the abdomen break. This is known 

as abdominal hernia, or rupture. The 
smallest rupture will necessitate the wearing of a truss 
to keep the viscera in place. Abdominal incisions 
impair the beautiful mechanism of these walls, and 
a long, often puckering scar is left. The line of junc- 
ture is inadequate to give proper support to the abdom- 
inal contents; hence often the necessity for a bandage 
for years. It is wide knowledge of the fact that the 
Yiavi system of treatment is non-surgical that brings 
under the treatment so many who have been operated 
upon, thus placing us in a much better position to judge 
as to which method has proved the more efficarious, 
and to determine the effects of abdominal incisions 
even better than the operators themselves. After 
abdominal incisions many are left in a pitiable con- 
dition, as the support offered by the strength of the 
abdominal walls has been weakened or destroyed, while 
with some, large, festering holes remain as a 



300 VIAVI HYGIENE 

menace to life. Physical degeneration is the result ; every 
function is more or less disordered and hence every nutri- 
tive process lessened. 

Probably the most common cause of 
The Process of weak abdominal walls is the wearing 
Recovery of heavy skirts, corsets, tight waist- 

bands, etc. The first step always is to 
remove the cause. An erect, strong spinal column to hold 
the body in a normal position is also of so much impor- 
tance in helping to overcome the weakness 'above mention- 
ed that we devote much space to this subject. (See chap- 
ter on The Nervous System and the Back.) 

The accumulation of fat, or adipose tissue, in the 
abdominal region, either within the cavity or within the 
abdominal walls, is caused by forced inactivity or a loss 
of healthy reaction. This function, thus impaired, is not 
irreparably suspended nor lost. It has been regained and 
the abdomen made to resume its normal size under the 
Viavi system of treatment. This healthy reaction so 
obtained caused this abnormal accumulation to be 
thrown from the body as are other forms of waste re- 
tained in disease. 

Viavi Cerate applied nightly on retir- 
Treatment for ing, entirely over the abdomen, the 
Lax Abdomen application extending well over on both 
sides, constitutes the central idea 
of the treatment. In case cutting has been done within a 
year, the application should be gentle, but none the less 
thorough; if the walls have not been cut, and there is no 
internal disease or tenderness, the rubbing should be very 
vigorous and the muscles should be kneaded with the 
knuckles. The skin should be carefully prepared before- 
hand. (See Cerate on the Abdomen, final chapter.) 
Where it can be comfortable tolerated, the Pendent 
Abdominal Massage (see directions in same chapter) 
should ,take the place of the ordinary massage twice a 
week. 

Viavi Capsule shoved be used daily in the vagina, 
except when menstruating. 



THE ABDOMINAL WALLS 301 

Baths. Either a hot bath at night or a cold sponge 
bath in the morning should be taken daily. 

Exercise. A reasonable amount of walking outdoors 
daily, short of fatigue, should be employed. 

A breaking of the abdominal walls is 
Treatment for known as abdominal hernia, or rupture. 
Rupture It is generally in the region of the navel 

or low in the groin. Under some con- 
ditions rupture may be cured. Some cases are incurable, 
but they are generally extensive and of long standing, 
and where the vitality and recuperative powers are low. 
The great difficulty is the lack of patient persistence and 
want of a realization that the seriousness of this condition 
is great and that very slow progress must necessarily 
be made. The success of the Viavi system of treatment 
with these troubles has been so marked that we beiieve 
that wherever it is possible to cure this condition it can 
be reached by that means. 

The treatment is the same as that for lax abdominal 
walls. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



PREGNANCY 

IN SETTING in motion the train of events that lead 
to the introduction of another human life to make 
the struggle for existence, a woman assumes the 
crowning responsibility of her life. It is then that she 
accepts partnership with God. To the extent that she 
understands her obligations and ably meets them, will 
she add to her own happiness and secure that of the life 
she is to bring forth. ■ In conception, pregnancy and child- 
birth we come face to face with the sublime mystery of 
creation, and are instruments for the working out of its 
immutable laws. It is needful that we approach the sub- 
ject with reverence, and understand as much of it as pos- 
sible. Upon a woman's conduct during pregnancy de- 
pends largely the question as to whether her child will be 
useful and happy. Upon her health will largely depend 
the question as to whether the child shall be to her a 
blestekig or a curse, a stay and comfort or a burden and 
reproach. 

The processes involved in pregnancy 
Processes of are ovulation, impregnation, gestation 
Pregnancy and parturition. Ovulation is the ex- 
trusion of the ovum (egg) from the 
ovary. Impregnation is the mingling of the male germ 
with the egg. Gestation is the development of the egg in 
the womb. Parturition is the birth of the child. 

Conception takes place at the moment when the male 
and female principles unite; that is the origin of the new 
life. Pregnancy begins with impregnation and ends with 
parturition. 

Much mystery surrounds many of these processes, 
particularly with reference to ovulation and the time and 



PJ&EGNANCY 303 

place of conception, giving rise to wide differences of 
opinion. 

The relation of menstruation tc the 
Pregnancy and child-bearing function is involved in 

Menstruation much obscurity. Menstruation gen- 
erally ceases when conception occurs, 
though there are exceptions. 

During pregnancy the ovaries are relieved of the 
monthly disturbance that they experience in menstrua- 
tion, and all the activities of the generative system are 
centered in the womb, whose important duty.it is to 
nurture the new life. 

It may be assumed that the menstrual fluid is needed 
for the growth of the fetus. This assumption seems to be 
borne out by the fact that menstruation remains sus- 
pended after parturition, the nutrient elements- of the 
menstrual flow presumably contributing to the production 
of milk. 

The duration of normal pregnancy is 

Reckoning Time nine calendar months, ten lunar months 

of Delivery or about two hundred and seventy-five 

days. To obtain the exact date of 
parturition is very difficult and uncertain. The best rule, 
though uncertain, is as follows: First determine the exact 
day when the last menstruation appeared; then count 
backwards three months and add seven days. For instance, 
a woman's last menstruation appeared on the 20th of 
August. Counting backwards three months would take 
her to the 20th of May, and adding seven days would 
make her date of delivery the 27th of May, or very close 
to it. The shorter the period of gestation, as a rule, the 
less the vitality of the child. 

When the impregnated ovum lodges 

Many Kinds of and develops in the womb, we have a 

Pregnancies normal, or uterine, pregnancy. It is 

single when the uterus contains a single 

fetus; double when it contains two. Complicated preg- 



304 » . VIAVI HYGIENE 

nancy is when, in addition to the fetus, there is present 
a tumor, dropsy or other abnormal condition. 

There are four varieties of extra-uterine pregnancy: 
ovarian pregnancy, where the ovum develops within the 
ovary; peritoneal pregnancy, where the impregnated 
ovum fails to pass into the tube, and lodges in the folds 
of the peritoneum and there develops; tubal pregnancy, 
where the ovum lodges in the Fallopian tube and is there 
developed; interstitial pregnancy, where the ovum pene- 
trates and develops in the wall of the womb instead of 
within its cavity. Extra-uterine pregnancy terminates 
disastrously unless relieved by Caesarian section (delivery 
by abdominal incision). False pregnancy means an en- 
largement of the abdomen from tumors, when no living 
fetus is present. 

From the time of the impregnation, the womb begins 
to prepare for the reception of the guest that it must 
guard and nurture for nine months. The egg is so delicate 
and minute that extraordinary provision is made for its 
care. By the time that the egg, in its slow passage 
through the Fallopian tube, enters the womb, it finds the 
lining of that organ thickened and arranged in soft vel- 
vety folds to serve as a bed for the honored guest. The 
ovum throws out villi, or hair-like projections, which 
take root in the uterine lining, forming a firm attachment. 

As pregnancy requires the mother to 
Changes in the nourish two lives, important changes 
Mother occur in different systems and organs 

of her body. The new life must live as 
she does, except as to breathing. Its growth involves 
nourishment, circulation, repair, waste and a kind of res- 
piration. These will be performed well or ill according to 
the mother's condition, and the manner in which they are 
performed determines the future of the child. 

Both the quantitjr and the character of the mother's 
blood are altered, the quantity being increased and the 
character changed. As the heart has more work to do, it 
increases in size about one-fifth. If the mother nurses 
the child after birth, the heart still remains large, for the 



PREGNANCY 305 

work of preparing milk requires more blood than usual, 
and a stronger heart to keep it properly moving. The 
spleen and liver increase in size. The pressure of the 
enlarged uterus produces changes in the position of the 
lungs and gives rise at times to palpitation of the heart. 
The power of the lungs to eliminate impurities is increased. 
The mother must furnish nutriment for the child as well 
as herself; hence she must eat and digest more food. 
In the earlier months the appetite is likely to be capri- 
cious, but as the system becomes better used to the great 
change, it steadies itself, and the appetite and digestion 
increase. The body gains ten to fifteen pounds in weight 
besides that represented by the increased weight of the 
womb, and this gain is greatest in the last two months. 
The skin undergoes a change,, probably due to an increase 
in its eliminative powers. The urine becomes more 
abundant, possibly for a similar reason. 

The nerves become highly keyed, so that a pregnant 
woman is keenly impressionable. For this reason she 
requires the greatest care and comfort, mental and physic- 
al. She may become fretful, irritable and unreasonable. 
This shows the demand of her whole nature for the best 
consideration and sympathy. If she is not sound, her 
digestion may suffer, giving rise to imperfect nutrition. 
This will likely produce depression, melancholia or mania. 
There is nothing sadder than a deranged woman in the act 
of childbearing. 

It was never intended by Nature that undue distress 
of any kind should be suffered during pregnancy. If it 
occurs, there is evidence of disease or irrational living. 

The Viavi system of treatment contem- 
Purpose of the plates the following ends in pregnancy: 
Treatment to enable the mother to undergo with- 
out undue distress the wonderful 
changes that occur in her organism; to place her digestive 
system in good order, so that her blood may be properly 
furnished with nutriment; to render the circulation full 
and regular, to the end that nutrition of both mother and 
child shall be complete; to tone the nerves, so that the 



306 VIAVI HYGIENE 

nervous system, which controls all the functions, may be 
enabled to discharge its duties properly; to assist the 
proper nourishment of the fetus, to the end that it may 
be born with the strength that it must have to battle 
successfully with life; to produce in the mother a nervous 
stability that may promote peace and strength of mind, 
and prevent erratic mental conditions from affecting her 
own organism and that of the child; to establish a healthy 
balance between mother and fetus, and thus prevent the 
growth of the fetus at the expense of the mother's strength; 
to promote the healthy enlargement of the womb, so that 
pains may be avoided ; to give to the womb the strength 
that will be required to expel the child naturally at term, 
thus aiming to avert prolonged and exhausting labor, 
and the use of instruments, which is dangerous to both 
mother and child; to make the tissues of the womb and 
cervix elastic, and thus prevent laceration; to enable the 
membrane uniting the placenta to the womb to disinte- 
grate normally, so that the placenta may be naturally 
expelled after the birth, instead of being torn away with 
instruments; to enable the womb to contract normally 
after delivery, so that the blood vessels ruptured by the 
separation of the placenta from the uterine walls may be 
promptly closed to avert a dangerous or fatal hemorrhage; 
to enable the womb, after delivery, to return to its proper 
size, by the absorption of the extra amount of tissue that 
it has taken on during pregnancy, thus preventing sub- 
involution, and flexion or other form of displacement, 
due to its enlarged and softened condition and the weak- 
ness of its sustaining ligaments; and last, to enable the 
mother to furnish milk, for the mother's milk is the only 
natural food for her infant. 

All these are natural. They are what Nature would 
do were the system of the mother in perfect order. 

The Viavi system of treatment has done 

Good Effects on much for the pregnant woman, but it 

the Child has helped to do even "more for the 

unborn child, whose greatest of all 

rights is that of being well born. "Viavi babies" are well- 



PREGNANCY 307 

developed, healthy and strong. Especially is this notice- 
able in the firm muscles and strong spine of the child 
whose mother had a thought for its welfare as well as her 
own before its birth. "Viavi in Babyland" is the title 
of an instructive booklet published for the benefit of 
women expecting maternity. 

The period of use of the Viavi system of 

When a Woman treatment takes a woman up to the 

Is Confined time of delivery. When that time 

comes the services of a skillful physician 
are necessary. If the labor is normal, as it has usually 
been under ordinary circumstances after a thorough 
course of the Viavi system of treatment, the sendees of 
the obstetrician will be merely those of an intelligent 
attendant, whom every woman should have at such a 
time. It is necessary to have one who is skillful, for the 
reason that it is beyond human power to know exactly 
what complications may arise, or what kind of presenta- 
tion of the child will occur even when the mother is sound. 
A difficult presentation requires high obstetrical skill, 
in order to avoid injury both of mother and child. The 
pregnant woman should be examined carefully at fre- 
quent intervals during pregnancy by the one who is going 
to attend her at confinement. Many mistakes and much 
suffering may thus be avoided. 

Nature provides for the nourishment 

Uses of the of the fetus by the development of the 

Placenta placenta, or afterbirth. The maternal 

side is closely attached to the uterine 
walls. To the fetal side is attached the umbilical cord, 
which contains two arteries and one vein. The arteries 
carry the impoverished arterial blood from the child to the 
placenta, which serves the double purpose of a respiratory 
and nutritive organ. The vein carries it back to the child, 
purified, and laden with nutriment for its growth. When 
the placenta has obtained its full size it is about six inches 
in diameter, three-fourths of an inch thick in the center, 
and tapers to a thin edge. 



308 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The fetal blood constantly communicates with the 
maternal blood in the placenta bj^ a process known as 
endosmosis (the commingling of two fluids by passing 
through a separating membrane), but never directly com- 
mingles with it. The cord arises in the placenta and ter- 
minates in the child at the navel, or umbilicus, where its 
blood vessels communicate directly with the blood 
vessels within the child's body. The average length of 
the cord is from twenty-one to twenty-three inches. 

As the child depends entirely upon the mother's 
blood for nourishment, to bring forth a healthy, well- 
developed child the mother's blood must not only contain 
sufficient nutriment, and be properly purified, but it 
must circulate normally. The aim of the Viavi system 
of treatment during pregnancy is to assist Nature in pro- 
viding not only for the proper nourishment of the blood, 
but its normal circulation and purification. 

During pregnancy the womb undergoes 
The Conduct of important changes in character, size 
the Womb and position. During the first three 
months it remains in the pelvic cavity, 
a little lower than usual, especially if the pelvis is large. 
By so doing the navel may be drawn inward by traction 
on the urachus. Approaching the fourth month, the en- 
larging womb gradually rises into the false pelvis, which 
is more commodious, and at four and a half months it 
lies entirely there. Then "quickening," or life, is felt; as a 
rule, it indicates that half the period has passed. 

The growth of the child is rapid during the second half 
of gestation, and the abdominal walls yield progressively 
to accomodate it. 

A short time before delivery, fatty degeneration of the 
membrane between the uterine walls and the placenta 
takes place. This causes the placenta to be easily shed 
from the womb at labor. If it does not occur, the pla- 
centa adheres and the hand must be introduced to tear 
it loose. This is painful and dangerous. If the operating 
hand is unclean, or particles of the placenta be left ad- 
hering, blood poisoning may result, and there is always 



PREGNANCY 309 

danger of hemorrhage by delay of the contractions that 
close the blood vessels. 

Labor proceeds as follows: The mus- 

Cause of Pains cular fibers of the womb contract to 

in Labor expel the child, and at the same time 

the mouth of the womb relaxes, thus 
removing the resistance to the escape of the child. Let us 
take our left hand in our right, pressing the left to a de- 
gree that we judge would be just short of that which would 
injure a child at birth. We find that our left hand suffers 
no pain under the pressure, but if it is diseased or swollen, 
we experience acute pain. 

The womb is placed under a very severe strain in 
parturition, but evidently it was intended to bear the 
strain without pain. The buttocks bear constant pressure 
from sitting, and they never suffer pain, but if a boil ap- 
pears on them, sitting is painful. All the parts of us 
designed to bear pressure or strain can do so without 
causing pain if they are healthy, but cannot do so if they 
are diseased. The inference is that extreme labor pains 
are evidence of disease, even though it may be impossible 
to find any trace of disease otherwise/ 

We have seen how the Viavi system of 

Elastic Tissues treatment is designed to enable the 

Demanded womb to expand with the growth 

of the fetus, and how the treatment aims 

to give the womb strength to expel the fetus naturally 

at term. There are other very important tissues involved, 

and upon their condition serious things depend. We have 

shown that while in childbirth the womb is contracting, 

the cervix is relaxing. If there is rigidity of the cervix, 

relaxation will not be thorough, and hence the cervix must 

tear as the womb forces the fetus through it. This is 

laceration, one of the commonest and most distressing 

conditions following confinement, and one of the most 

prolific sources of cancer. (See chapter on Laceration.) 

The other tissues involved are those of the abdominal 

walls. These are greatly stretched during pregnancy. 

If they are rigid it is impossible for them to stretch without 



310 VIAVI HYGIENE 

injury. It is common to find women with a number of 
small white scars on the abdomen. These are the evidence 
of the injury to which the tissues had been subjected in' 
pregnancy. 

Another affliction that the abdomen is likely to suffer 
is a loss of tone during pregnancy. After confinement 
the mother may find her abdomen lying in folds. Besides 
being disfiguring, the flabby condition denies to the in- 
testines, etc., the support that healthy abdominal walls 
give them, and that is necessary to their health and func- 
tion. (See chapter on The Abdominal Walls.) The use of 
the Viavi cerate during pregnancy has been valuable in 
assisting to preserve the natural elasticity of these walls, 
which condition averts those distressing results. 

Women are often, and most unwisely, 
Ovaritis and advised to invite pregnancy as a cure 
Adhesions for ovarian disease. If it happens that 
pregnancy has occurred in the presence 
of ovarian disease, it offers an opportunity for employing 
the Viavi system of treatment to overcome it during the 
nine months of rest that the ovaries enjoy in pregnancy. 
There is a helpful absence of the interruption and aggra- 
vation of menstruation. Where adhesions have been 
present when the Viavi system of treatment was employed, 
they were rapidly absorbed during pregnancy. As they 
became softer and thinner under the treatment, they were 
absorbed more rapidly, because of the greater normal 
movement of the internal organs during pregnancy. 
Many women who had previously been invalids emerged 
from pregnancy, after using the Viavi system of treat- 
ment, with perfect health, the first they had enjoyed 
in years. 

Sometimes the senses of sight, taste, 

Special Senses smell and hearing become affected in 

Affected pregnancy. From this we judge that 

the nutrition by means of the blood 

is not normal. If such aberrations are caused by an 

unsound condition of the generative organs, which pro- 



PREGNANCY 311 

hibits their bearing well the strain of pregnancy, the need 
of a treatment that will enable them to do so is indicated. 
The sensory and motor nerves are frequently perverted. 
Structural alterations in the fetus may result from un- 
sound maternal conditions. Not one idiot nor monster, 
not one child deformed or imperfect to the slightest 
extent, to our knowledge, has been born where the Viavi 
system of treatment has been used. 

Sudden unpleasant news, fright and physical shocks 
are to be carefully avoided. The slightest fear of danger 
in confinement must be peremptorily suppressed. Kind 
and firm assurance should be given that Nature knows 
her business well. The truly wise never fear her, never 
doubt her. 

If an unhealthy woman should become 

The Wisdom of pregnant, experience has shown that 

Preparedness the best thing that can be done is to 

use the Viavi system of treatment dur- 
ing the term. But by far the better plan for a married 
woman is always to be ready for maternity, for there is no 
telling when it may come. Although such a woman, un- 
fortunately, may not desire children, and although her 
physical condition may be so bad as to prohibit concep- 
tion or to induce miscarriage if conception occurs, she 
may rest assured that she is in a much worse condition 
than if she were able to bear children and should become 

a mother. 

• 

Women who have gone unassisted 

Meaning of the through pregnancy and suffered during 

Discovery it, at childbirth and afterward, are in a 

position to appreciate the thorough- 
ness of the Viavi system of treatment in meeting as many 
as possible of the distressing troubles that may overtake 
women during that time. The strengthening of the ab- 
dominal muscles held the pregnant womb and all other 
organs in their natural place, preventing distress or 
disease due to laxity of those walls. It was gratifying to 
be free from nausea, leucorrhea, pruritus, inflammation 
of the bladder, varicose veins, lameness, dropsy, or the 



312 VIAVI HYGIENE 

danger of miscarriage. It was highly important to prevent 
the adhesion of the placenta at childbirth and the hemor- 
rhages that often follow delivery, and to avoid laceration. 
It was comforting to have a generous supply of good milk 
for the child. All of these things are sought to be accom- 
plished by the Viavi system of treatment, and all of them 
have been accomplished many times. Childbearing is not 
a disease, a thing to be dreaded; it is natural, and capable 
of being performed without undue distress, without risk 
to life, without apprehension or repugnance, without so 
much surgical interference, with its accompanying 
dangers and terrors. 

Delivery is only a step in the scheme of 
Strength After maternity: Not only must the physical 

Confinement condition of the mother be brought back 
to its normal standard after confine- 
ment, but she must be competent for the duties of mother- 
hood. One of the most important of these is the furnish- 
ing of abundant and healthy milk for her child. A mother 
who is healthy and strong can give her child the sym- 
pathy, affection and guidance that it requires for develop- 
ment into a happy and useful man or woman. 

To accomplish all these things has been a triumph, 
the magnitude of which can hardly be comprehended. 
To assert that it has been won and is being won in many 
cases, without the most convincing reason and evidence 
to support the assertion, would be folly. Experience and 
observation in this matter, extending over all civilized 
countries, have brought a confidence that nothing can 
shake. 

All the intelligence that a woman and 
The Hygiene of her husband can bring to bear are 
Pregnancy needed during her pregnancy. It is a 
time when every fine sentiment of 
manhood is appealed to, when every resource of the 
woman's cheerfulness and hopefulness should be em- 
ployed. Everything disagreeable or burdensome should 
be removed as much as possible. Generous allowances 



PREGNANCY 313 

should be made. The direct happiness of two lives is in- 
volved in the care that a woman receives at this time. 
While a very strong obligation rests upon the husband, 
the woman herself is in no sense relieved of the greater 
obligations that Nature has imposed upon her. It is her 
own conduct, more than any other, that determines the 
issue. In pregnancy the Viavi system of treatment con- 
templates and requires intelligent living in all ways, for 
at no other time of life is it so urgently needed. 

Diet. The appetite is generally poor during the early 
months and there are cravings for certain foods. These 
cravings should be satisfied, for generally morning sick- 
ness is thus avoided. The digestion improves and the 
appetite returns after the fourth month. If nausea ap- 
pears, the Viavi liquid should be taken in hot water into 
the stomach in ten-drop doses three times a day, about 
twenty minutes before each meal. Nutritious animal and 
vegetable foods that can be well digested and that are 
desired, should be supplied freely. There should be no 
inflexible rules about what to eat and what to avoid. 
The idea is to give what is desired in reason and all that 
is wanted, and to know that the food is digestible. A 
fruit and vegetable diet has been suggested, that the bones 
of the child should be soft and easy delivery assured. 
It is not soft-boned, weakly children that are desired, 
but the heartiest, healthiest and most robust that can be 
produced. It has been demonstrated that when pros- 
pective mothers placed their bodies in such a condition 
of health by means of the Viavi system of treatment that 
the appetite was good and the digestion sufficiently 
normal to assimilate a varied, nourishing diet, they 
needed to have no fear of suffering unbearable tor- 
tures in giving birth to a hearty, robust child. 

After the womb has risen into the false pelvis, there is 
some compression of the stomach. This reduces its ca- 
pacity, necessitating the taking of food in smaller quan- 
tities and oftener. At times a milk diet may be required. 

Clothing. The clothes should be loose, so as not to 
bind the abdomen and chest, and warm, and as light as 
the demands of comfort permit. A most astonishing thing, 



314 VIAVI HYGIENE 

often seen, is tightly laced corsets on pregnant women. It 
would be unreasonable for them not to expect serious 
consequences. Corsets should not be worn at all. Even 
tightly-fitting skirts and bands around the waist are 
injurious. All such practices impede the circulation and 
digestion, and lay the foundation for suffering. Garments 
are best suspended from the shoulders. If the abdominal 
walls are flabby from previous pregnancies, they should 
be supported by a flannel bandage about the abdomen. 
Besides lending needed support it will give comfort. 

Rest, Sleep, Exercise. It is highly essential that a 
pregnant woman should have abundant sleep. At a 
certain time every day she should lie down for an hour 
or two for complete rest, and, if possible, sleep. The 
shoes should be removed and perfect comfort secured. 
At first it may be difficult to induce sleep, but gradually 
the habit will be established. Great benefits will be de- 
rived from it. Violent and excessive physical exertion 
should of course be avoided, but moderate and pleasant 
exercise is highly beneficial. If a woman is accustomed 
to walking, she should walk a certain distance every day. 
If this proves disagreeable or detrimental, she should 
drive, if possible. Abundant fresh air and sunshine 
should be had. Bright company should be sought, and 
pleasant books read. 

Bathing. Bathing should be done during pregnancy 
as well as in its absence. If the cold bath has been used 
before pregnancy, it should be used during the term. 
Of course the season of the year and common sense will 
largely determine this matter. Established habits in this 
regard may be safely followed as a rule. A free use of the 
bath and thorough applications of the Viavi cerate will 
maintain the activity of the skin. 

The Husband's Help. During a woman's pregnancy 
her physical and mental health, and that of the child, is 
peculiarly responsive to the husband's thoughtfulness. 
Punishment for any violation of natural laws during that 
time will be disastrously visited on mother and child. 

Viavi Cerate is to be used daily during pregnancy, 
upon the abdomen and hips, and at least three to six times 



PREGXAXCY 315 

a week over the spine by an assistant. If the cerate is 
applied for one hour each day it is not too much. The 
more cerate absorbed, the better. A good plan is to 
apply it thirty minutes in the forenoon and the same at 
night. (See Cerate on Spine and Cerate on Abdomen, 
final chapter.) 

Via vi Capsule is to be used in the vagina to within a 
few days of confinement, and resumed fifteen days after- 
ward. If a woman is using the treatment when she be- 
comes pregnant, she may continue the use of the whole 
capsule. If she begins the treatment after becoming 
pregnant, only half a capsule should be used two weeks 
to a month, and afterward the whole capsule. 

The Douche. The use of the syringe should be dis- 
continued after the fourth month, but the parts should be 
flushed regularly by hand, to secure cleanliness. During 
the period when the douche is used, the water should be 
only moderately warm, never hot. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken as directed if there is 
nausea. 

Viavi Laxative should be taken if there is a tendency 
to constipation. If one pill does not establish a normal 
movement, two should be taken every night before re- 
tiring. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if 
there are piles or other rectal trouble. 

Sitz Bath. See directions, final chapter. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 



THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 

(and some diseases of the breasts) 

THE BREASTS 

Inflammation of the breasts (mastitis) generally 
occurs during lactation (nursing), and is most frequent 
at the beginning of lactation. It less frequently occurs at 
weaning. As it is a distressing condition, and if neglected 
will lead to serious results, besides cutting off the infant's 
natural food supply or poisoning it with the products of 
inflammation, it requires prompt treatment. In these 
affections we have seen the Viavi system of treatment 
assisting Nature with as good results as in all other 
inflammatory conditions. 

The inflammation may arise within the 

Causes and Kinds breast, or one of its milk tubes, by the 

of Mastitis stagnation of milk, generally induced 

by a sore or imperfect nipple. Another 
cause is a weakness of the child which prevents its empty- 
ing the breast thoroughly. The undue pressure of ill- 
fitting clothes or corsets may be the cause; this will 
serve as a mechanical obstruction in a number of tubes, 
the obstruction leading to inflammation. 

The two kinds of inflammation are the external and 
the internal, each developing into both forms. Inflam- 
mation of the milk ducts, or tubes, is the internal form. 
This will have a tendency to extend outward and involve 
the surface. External inflammation begins on the surface, 
or rather in the tissue just beneath. It is of a character 
resembling erysipelas, and extends inwardly, involving 
the substance of the breast, with its ducts, and producing 



THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 317 

caking. This external form is caused by injuries, such as 
bruises, or by fright or cold. It frequently results in 
abscesses. 

When it is found that the milk cannot be drawn in the 
natural way, whether from the absence or weakness of the 
child, or from an obstruction of the milk tubes, or some 
defect of the nipple, no time should be lost in making an 
effort to draw it by other means. Another infant may be 
secured for the purpose, or the service may be performed 
by a friend, or by using a glass breast-pump, procur- 
able at a druggist's or chemist's. Another way is to heat 
a large glass bottle and quickly place its mouth over the 
nipple; as the bottle cools, the air in it decreases in volume, 
,and if more air is not permitted to enter around the nipple, 
the milk will be drawn from the breast. The heating of the 
bottle may have to be repeated. If this method of 
drawing is so strong as to cause pain, let a little air enter 
the bottle. 

Good protection should be given the inflamed breasts 
in cold weather. 

If the Viavi system of treatment is 

Treatment for faithfully followed during pregnancy, 

Mastitis these distressing afflictions may usually 

be avoided. If from cold or other 
circumstances an inflammatory condition has appeared, 
and the breast gathers or threatens to gather, hot com- 
presses (see Hygiene for Breasts, in the chapter on 
Cancer), should be used, followed by a thorough applica- 
tion of the Viavi cerate two or three times a day. After 
nursing, the nipples should be sponged off with a little 
warm water, in which have been placed a few drops of the 
Viavi liquid. Then dry with a soft linen cloth, and dust 
over with corn starch, which will keep the nipple dry. 
Before placing the child to the breast, the adhering 
starch should be removed with warm water. Every time 
the child is taken from the breast, this process should be 
repeated, until the nipple becomes sufficiently toughened. 
If the breasts become inflamed at any time inde- 
pendently of pregnancy, the hot or the cold compress 



318 VIAVI HYGIENE 

should be used once or twice daily. (See Hygiene for 
Breasts, in the chapter on Cancer.) The Viavi cerate is 
to be applied gently and thoroughly over the breasts 
and under the arms immediately following the compress. 
Seldom has it been necessary to lance a gathered breast 
where this treatment was begun in time and followed up. 
If an open sore exists, see Hygiene for Breasts, No. 3, 
in the chapter on Cancer. 



NOURISHING THE INFANT 

(lactation) 

The giving of milk by the mother is a continuation 
of the principle involved in pregnancy; it is the second 
step in the great scheme of Nature to provide for the pro- 
tection and nourishment of the infant. The main differ- 
ence is that in the first step the mother cherished and 
guarded and nourished the child within her body; her 
obligation is in nowise lessened by the fact that she 
now carries the little life in her arms and feeds it at 
her breast. 

In her unfailing wisdom, Nature has 

The Mother-Love provided after the child's birth that a 

Arises new force, the strongest that the woman 

preserving her natural womanliness can 
bring into operation — love of her offspring — shall enter 
as the most powerful and persistent guard that can be 
thrown about the child's welfare. The mother's nursing 
of the child is her sweetest, most satisfying expression of 
that finest of all human impulses, and it is the most 
beneficial thing to both mother and child that can happen 
in their mutual relations. Very unfortunate indeed are 
both if the mother is incapable for this happy duty; both 
must suffer in consequence to a greater or less degree. 
Nature's plans are so rounded, so perfect in arrangement 
and detail, that she never contemplates the bestowal of 



THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 319 

the child-bearing capacity without aiming to accompany 
it with the milk-giving capacity. Where this latter fails, 
some serious and hurtful thing of human origin has more 
than likely been done to thwart a perfect purpose. The 
probabilities are very strong that the exercise of a little 
intelligent care at the right time would have averted 
what must be regarded as a disaster. 

As the breasts are a part of the genera- 
Breasts Affected tive system, it is to be expected that 
in Disease if there is a disease or weakness of the 

generative organs, the function of the 
breasts will be impaired, by reason of the intimate ner- 
vous connection. In lactation the breasts take up the 
work that the womb has been doing in pregnancy. If 
there has been great distress during pregnancy, we may 
expect absent or defective lactation after confinement. 
If pregnancy has proceeded easily and parturition has 
been devoid of abnormal conditions, we may expect 
healthy lactation. Further, if by intelligent treatment 
we overcome abnormal conditions in pregnancy and avoid 
them in confinement, we may expect the breasts to per- 
form their natural function properly. As the Viavi 
system of treatment has accomplished those results with 
regard to pregnancy and delivery, it may naturally be 
expected to place the breasts in a condition to perform 
their work satisfactorily. Such expectation has been 
amply met in the past. This happy result has been aided 
by the direct and regular application of the Viavi cerate 
to the breasts throughout pregnancy, in addition to the 
treatment for any trouble that may be present. Even 
where there is no visible trouble, its use on the breasts as a 
safeguard against unforeseen contingencies arising in con- 
finement has probably averted many an affliction that 
might have impaired or destroyed lactation. 

The failure of the mother to furnish 

Explanation of milk may be due to some disease or 

Interruption weakness of the generative organs, or 

to a depletion of nervous force. This 

depletion may take the form of inability to digest and 



320 VIAVI HYGIENE 

assimilate food in a way necessary to furnish the blood 
with nutriment that the breasts may transform into milk. 
Hence we conclude that if the nervous system is in perfect 
order, the proper secretion of milk will result. As the use 
of the Viavi system of treatment has exhibited a special 
value in aiding Nature to assure the integrity of the 
nervous system, the natural result of its use during preg- 
nancy has been an ability to secrete milk. If the lack of 
nervous integrity explains the absence of milk, we may 
be certain that the injury which the mother suffers is by no 
means confined to the milk-secreting powers. Every 
other function of her system must suffer. 

One of the most deplorable acts is the 

If Lactation Is deliberate and unnecessary suppression 

Suppressed of the milk after it has appeared. 

WKen the interruption of a natural 
process occurs through weakness, the tendency of Nature 
is to restore the strength needed for a resumption of the 
process. It is for this reason that the use of the Viavi 
system of treatment has been so efficacious — it furnished 
Nature with the material upon which she could build 
her own strength and thus resume her process. When, 
however, the process is checked unnecessarily and un- 
naturally, Nature resents it in the most summary man- 
ner. Swollen and broken breasts are to be expected. 
These are often indications of extensive harm. The entire 
system has received a shock; its orderly way of attending 
to its duties has been deranged. For a time the mother 
may experience no serious consequences of her act, but 
sooner or later the punishment will come; some disease 
eventually will appear and its original cause may never be 
suspected. 

If the child dies, and lactation is normal, Nature seems 
to lend a wonderfully kind hand to ease the situation. 
The problem offered for solution in such cases is so com- 
plex that we can do no more than say that Nature meets 
natural conditions intelligently. It seems to be a fact 
that lactation suppressed by the death of the child rarely 
produces the evil results that are noticeable in cases 



THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 321 

where mothers refuse to put the child to breast when the 
milk-secreting powers are normal. 

Is it wise for a woman to deny herself 
Injury to the the softening and expanding influence 
Affections that comes from having the confiding 
and affectionate little life pressed close 
to her heart and drawing its nutriment from her? This is 
the sweetest phase of maternity. It is the one more than 
all others that brings the mother and her child into the 
closest relations, that gives her a power over its destiny, 
and that awakens the finest emotions of her nature. 
It was the mother's blood that contained and conveyed 
to the unborn child the nutriment employed in its de- 
velopment ; it is still the mother's blood that furnishes the 
nutriment in the form of milk. To change the character 
of the nutriment designed by Nature for the sustenance 
and development of the child, is to violate Nature's in- 
tention and defeat her purpose. Nature knows best. 
The mother's milk, the milk of the mother who bore the 
child, is its only natural food. 

The bowels of a new-born child con- 

A Child's First tain a substance called meconium. This 

Necessities has a useful purpose in the fetal state, 

but must be got rid of after birth. To 
accomplish this, the first milk is scant and watery; it 
contains little nutriment, but carries the very laxative 
needed to act properly on the infant's bowels to rid them of 
the meconium. If this is not removed, the digestive 
system of the child will be impaired at the very thresh- 
old of its life. No artificial laxative can be identical 
with that contained in the first milk of the mother. The 
character of the mother's milk changes progressively, 
Nature thus enabling the mother to furnish, at any given 
time, milk containing the ingredients that the child's 
developing organism requires at that time. For this 
reason it is impossible to find cow's milk, or the milk of 
any other animal, that contains exactly the ingredients 
demanded bv the infant's needs. 



322 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The child's first act of volition is to seek its mother's 
breast. Before being placed thereto,, it gives signs that 
indicate its desire. When placed to the breast it will 
know what to do. Nature had implanted in it both the 
desire for the breast and the knowledge of what 
to do when placed to it. If there is no milk for it, or if the 
breasts are too sore and tender to bear it, or the mother 
denies it, it cannot be reasoned with. It cannot be made 
to understand that the gratification of its intense longing 
is impossible or undesirable. 

• The babe at its mother's breast, drawing its sus- 
tenance from her, is the most beautiful picture in the 
world. The tender little life has found the harbor for 
which its every instinct yearns. It is a part of her, body, 
blood and soul ; it still depends upon her wisdom and 
kindly care. In addition, it has something more precious 
— the mother-love, in full bloom and fragrance, the ten- 
derest, the most enduring thing in life. In the warmth 
of her body it enjoys comfort and satisfaction, and the 
best of all aids to its digestion and the other natural 
functions of its little life. For it there is no other haven, 
no nest so sweet and comfortable. There are no other 
breasts that it can caress so lovingly, no other arms that 
hold it so tenderly. 

Just as a mother's conduct and the 

Accidents To Be condition of her health, as well as her 

Avoided state of mind, affect the quality of the 

child's nutriment and the manner of 
its supply while she is carrying it in her womb, so will 
similar conditions have a like effect upon the food supply, 
the milk, after birth. It therefore behooves the mother 
to exercise the greatest care while she is nursing her child. 
Many cases are recorded in which the child was poisoned 
through the milk by the mother's giving way to some 
violent passion. Innumerable children have starved to 
death, because, although the quantity of the mother's 
milk seemed sufficient, it was lacking in proper nutritive 
elements, due to unwise eating or other conduct. The one 
safe rule is for the mother to keep her mind and spirits 



THE INFANT'S NOURISHMENT 323 

cheerful, to guard her health in every possible way, to 
preserve her strength, and to eat abundantly all the nour- 
ishing food that she desires and that she finds to agree 
with her. Countless thousands of drunkards are made 
from the use, by mothers, of beer, wine or spirits while 
nursing their children. Fondness for tobacco, tea, coffee, 
sedatives and other nerve stimulants or hypnotics is thus 
implanted. 

The use of the Viavi system of treat- 
Effect of Viavi ment during pregnancy, besides ac- 
in Nursing complishing all the good that it has 
produced in that condition, has assured 
a natural condition after delivery that made lactation 
complete and enabled it to meet all the demands of the 
young life. The resumption of the treatment fifteen days 
after confinement has been a further aid to that end. 
It enabled Nature to furnish the body the material and 
strength by which all the functions of the reproductive 
economy, in all its stages, were made natural. 

Lying in wait for infants are numerous diseases that 
sweep them off in appalling numbers. Dysentery, due 
to improper nourishment, is the most frequent cause. 
This is easily explained by the condition of the mothers. 
There are many other diseases that they may have, such 
as measles, whooping cough and the like. If they have 
sufficient strength, they will come safely through. The 
use of the Viavi system of treatment has consistently 
enabled mothers to impart to their children the strength 
that brought them through to competent manhood or 
womanhood. 

As children furnish the greatest of the joys that life 
can bring, so the commonest and deepest and most lasting 
of griefs comes from their death. But most of the deaths 
of children are unnecessary, and due to parental fault. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



LACERATION 

A CERVICAL laceration is a tearing of the os, or 
mouth, of the neck of the womb. The orifice 
of the womb is surrounded by muscular rings, 
or bands, which are capable, when healthy, of 
great distension. 

The mouth of the womb is so small that to the finger 
it feels like a dent. It is abnormally large when the end 
of the finger can be inserted. If the os feels elongated or 
like a slit to the touch, a laceration exists. 

Compare an opening that would admit a small pea 
with one that would accommodate an infant's head, and 
a very good idea can be obtained of the expansion that 
must occur to allow the passage of the child through the 
mouth of the womb. It is opened from within outward 
by the gradual pressure of the bag of waters, which pre- 
cedes the presenting of the child's head. When the womb 
is diseased the neck is either rigid and unyielding, thus 
tearing or lacerating at childbirth instead of expanding, 
or is soft and easily torn from the lack of normal elas- 
ticity. In the healthy os the muscular rings or bands 
are elastic; this condition is its only protection against 
laceration or other injury at childbirth. 

In laceration, the rent is similar to 
Edges Do Not that made by the tearing of the 
Unite mouth into the cheek. The raw surfaces 

roll away from each other; hence 
there is no tendency to spontaneous healing. As the 
womb is greatly enlarged at pregnancy, the surfaces 
of lacerations are sometimes very extensive, and the dis- 
charges immediately following delivery, and leucorrhea 
at other times, irritate the exposed surfaces. After the 



LACERATION 325 

lapse of a few days these discharges decompose, becom- 
ing more or less offensive, producing liability to blood 
poisoning, the much-dreaded child-bed fever that so 
often proves fatal. The irritation from the laceration 
causes and keeps up inflammation; hence the womb 
remains large. Following delivery, the substance of the 
womb undergoes great changes under healthy circum- 
stances, and through these changes the womb is restored 
to its usual size and condition. 

Where lacerations occur these changes are inter- 
rupted. Such women date their invalidism from child- 
birth. The delicate membrane lining the neck of the 
womb in health is so protected that it is never irritated 
by friction, but when lacerations exist this membrane is 
exposed to the irritating secretions of the vagina, as well 
as brought in contact with the vaginal walls; this is a 
very pronounced source of irritation. 

Nature's efforts to heal the rent cause 

The Forming of the formation of much scar tissue. A 

Scar Tissue large part of this tissue forms in the 

angle of the rent, in the form of a hard 
plug. Immediately beneath and around the scarified 
tissue, the parts become exceedingly tender and painful, 
from the contracting or pinching of the numerous injured 
nerve filaments between and within the hardened muscu- 
lar fibers. In extensive lacerations a great amount of 
scar tissue forms, so much at times that it partially or 
completely surrounds the os, forming a complete or par- 
tial stricture, and the womb remains enlarged and hard. 
A lacerated womb, enlarged, becomes displaced, and" 
so follows a train of ills, among them menstrual anomalies, 
ovarian, rectal and bladder diseases, leucorrhea, head- 
aches, nervousness, and sometimes cancer of the cervix 
from irritation, etc. 

When a woman places herself under 

The Process of this treatment for laceration, let us 

Repair assume that the womb is four time? its 

natural size from inflammation, and 

the tear one inch in length. So long as the womb remains 



326 VIAVI HYGIENE 

this -size, the laceration will remain one inch in length. 
By the use of the Viavi system of treatment the inflam- 
mation may be gradually reduced; as a consequence the 
womb will become smaller and smaller, and so must the 
tion. Before the enlarged cervix has been reducecl 
to something like its normal size, the hard scar tissue 
must have been absorbed. The tear was one inch long 
when the womb was four times its natural size. Now 
that it is reduced to one-quarter of its enlarged size, the 
tear is reduced to one-quarter of an inch in length. The 
circulation in the parts has become normal, and healthy 
granulations now form and fill the small remaining rent, 
just as Nature heals external injuries of the muscular 
tissues of the body. (See chapter on Wounds, etc.) The 
rent has healed by a natural process soTperfectly that many 
times inspection reveals no trace of the laceration. 

There is no part of the body that, from 

How Cancer Is a comparatively slight injury, can give 

Caused rise to so much suffering or lead to 

such injurious results as a cervical 
laceration, a slight laceration often causing as serious 
complications as an extensive one. A lacerated cervix 
is responsible for many painful reflex symptoms over 
the entire body, but one of the most serious results is the 
increased susceptibility to cervical cancer, which is 
caused from the continued irritation from friction of the 
scarified, hardened cervix. The womb is moved constantly 
by the function of other organs and largely by respiration 
and locomotion. The continued irritation of any mucous 
surface by friction is the most frequent cause of cancer. 

Only a small percentage of cancer patients are found 
among unmarried women, and only a small percentage 
in married women who have not borne children; hence 
the conclusion that injury followed by friction is the 
most frequent cause of cervical cancer. Additional dan- 
ger lies in the constant irritation to which the sensitive 
surfaces of the laceration are subjected in the marital 
act, from infection and in locomotion, besides the other 
normal movements. 



LACERATION 327 

A lacerated cervix may give but little trouble for 
many years, or until a woman enters or nears the change 
of life, when a great rearranging of the system occurs. 
Then many alarming and distressing symptoms will 
arise one after another, until the whole body becomes 
implicated. A cancerous condition may be discovered, 
which has developed in a trifling laceration to which no 
thought had been given for perhaps twenty or thirty years. 

The reflex symptoms from laceration 
The Effects of are so numerous that the cause is too 
Laceration frequently overlooked. The injury 
never permits the womb to regain its 
normal size; hence it presses upon surrounding parts, 
affecting the bladder and rectum, and the nerves, tissues 
and blood vessels in its vicinity. If the rectum is en- 
croached upon largely, there will result piles, which will 
drive a woman to seek relief. Or the pressure upon Jhe 
nerves will cause intense headaches and backaches, and 
the sufferer will resort irrationally to plasters for the 
back and remedies for the headaches. If the enlarged 
organ rests on the bladder, she seeks relief for kidney 
troubles. And so the various reflex symptoms are treated 
for years, while the cause remains overlooked and neg- 
lected until cancer is sometimes developed. 

In operations for cervical laceration, 

Evil Results of parts of the cervix are cut away. Thus 

Operations its size is lessened, while the muscular 

bands encircling the os are shortened, 
and sometimes their elasticity almost destroyed. In 
our experience we have met but few women who escaped 
extensive laceration in confinement following this surgi- 
cal treatment. It could not reasonably be otherwise. 
In the first place, the womb was torn because the os 
was too small to permit the child to pass through. It 
was rigid and unyielding, or soft and easily torn. In the 
cutting nothing is done to bring the abnormal tissue- to 
a normal condition, but a part of the organ is pared away 
and the raw edges drawn together. Sometimes they heal 
and sometimes they do not. When the stitches tear out, 



32S VIAVI HYGIENE 

the laceration is greater than before, more of the lining 
of the cervix is exposed to the acrid secretions of the 
vagina, and more extensive raw surfaces are exposed to 
friction. If the pared edges do unite, the neck is smaller 
than before, and more rigid. It is a very plain fact to 
understand that if the neck of the womb was rigid and 
small in the first place, it will surely be smaller and more 
rigid after parts of it have been cut away and the edges 
drawn together and united. A shrinking and contract- 
ing scar is bound to remain. 

Many women are using the Viavi system of treatment 
to-day because women whom they know, after using it 
to prepare themselves for an operation, were informed, 
upon examination when presenting themselves for the 
operation, that the laceration no longer existed, and there- 
fore that the operation was unnecessary. 

The process by which the Viavi system 

The Process of of treatment has assisted Nature to 

Healing heal a lacerated cervix was apparently 

the same as in a case of external injury. 
There is no reason why in this particular location it should 
be otherwise, as the neck of the womb will as actively 
repair itself if given the means as any other part of the 
body. It has also become healthy, elastic and easily 
expansive under the Viavi system of treatment when 
employed during pregnancy, so that a woman's life was 
not placed in jeopardy during her lying-in period. The 
treatment has proved the best means for a woman to 
employ during pregnancy to render the parts so healthy 
and elastic as to prevent laceration; likewise nothing has 
been so good for a woman to use for lacerations. The 
time is past when women were willing to be left to take 
desperate chances unassisted. If the treatment is em- 
ployed during pregnancy, laceration is less likely to 
occur. (See chapter on Pregnancy.) Where the treat- 
ment has been employed after laceration occurred, it 
assisted Nature to repair the injury in a natural way. 
The importance of this will be understood when the 
serious nature of a laceration is realized. 



LACERATION 329 

Where external lacerations have not 
If Laceration been extensive, the tissues were ren- 
Is External dered firm and elastic by the treat- 
ment, so that little or no inconvenience 
resulted. In extensive external laceration the torn sur- 
faces cannot be brought together except by surgical means. 
It is wise for a woman to do all in her power to 
strengthen and build the muscles and other tissues that 
form the floor of the pelvis before submitting to an oper- 
ation for external laceration, as only too often control of 
the sphincter of the anus is largely lost, allowing gases 
to escape from the bowels inopportunely. Such a con- 
dition drives women to isolation or submits thei 
mortification. 

External laceration usually results from instrumental 
delivery, and should have been repaired at once. 

The Viavi system of treatment for cer- 
Treatment for vical laceration is the same as that for 
Laceration inflammation of the womb (which see), 
as inflammation always exists. This 
treatment should be combined with that given in this 
volume for whatever form of displacement exists — ante- 
version, retroversion, or prolapsus. The time required 
for a laceration to heal under the treatment has depended 
on the sufferer's recuperative powers, the condition and 
extent of the laceration, the extent of the inflammation 
and displacement, and the thoroughness with which the 
treatment was followed up. 

Viavi Capsule is to be used in the vagina every night 
when not menstruating. By protecting the sens 
parts from the acrid vaginal secretions and assisting 
Nature to reduce the inflammation, the treatment has 
been followed by a gradual softening and absorption of 
the hard scar tissue and the building up of the injured 
parts. 

Viavi Cerate should be applied over the lower half 
of the spine and over the lower abdomen for thirty min- 
utes daily. (See Cerate on Spine and Cerate on Abdo- 
men, in final chapter.) 



330 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Via vi Liquid should be taken as directed. 

Via vi Royal should be used as directed. 

Via vi Suppositories should be used in the rectum if 
there is any trouble there. 

Viavi Laxative should be used if there is consti- 
pation. 

Baths best suited to the individual should be taken- 
(See Baths, in final chapter.) 



CHAPTER XLV. 



MISCARRIAGE 

ABORTION may be spontaneous, accidental or 
intentional. It commonly means the procure- 
ment of premature delivery. Under this defi- 
nition there are two kinds — the non-criminal, or 
that which is done to save the mother's life, and the crim- 
inal, or that which is produced to escape the burden or 
shame of maternity. Criminal abortion is a subject that 
calls for no discussion here, and is something that this 
system of treatment has nothing to do with. In scientific 
usage, expulsion during the first three months of preg- 
nancy, from whatever cause, is generally termed abortion. 
If it occurs between the termination of that period and 
the viability (ability to live) of the fetus, it is generally 
termed miscarriage, or immature delivery. If it occurs 
between the appearance of viability and the maturity 
of the fetus, it is called premature delivery. In this 
chapter we shall speak of them all as miscarriage; that 
leaves no room for popular doubt as to the meaning 
intended. 

Almost anything affecting a woman to a 
Some Causes of marked degree, whether from internal 
Miscarriage or external sources, may produce mis- 
carriage at any time during pregnancy. 
No two women are alike in this regard. Within certain 
limitations, what may easily produce miscarriage in one 
will not in another. A great deal depends upon the 
strength of the individual, and her susceptibility to in- 
juries and impressions. Any unhealthy condition, con- 
stitutional or local, may produce miscarriage in one 
woman and not in another. Some women pass safely 
through pregnancy with the severest disease; a slight 



332 VIAV1 HYGIENE 

illness will produce miscarriage in others. Some women 
bear the heaviest sudden strain or most serious accident 
in safety; the slightest mishap, such as a misstep, the 
lifting of a light object, or fright, joy and the like, will 
produce miscarriage in others. Disease of the uterine 
organs tends to cause miscarriage. The only rule that 
should govern women is to exercise the greatest care at all 
times, and to secure health as a safeguard against any 
contingency. 

If a miscarriage occurs at any stage in pregnancy, a 
repetition of it is likely to occur when that stage arrives 
in a subsequent pregnancy. For that reason, a woman 
who has suffered a miscarriage and again becomes preg- 
nant, should be on her guard. Upon the approach of the 
critical time she should keep to her bed or couch as closely 
as possible. 

In habitual prolapsus the impregnated womb may 
become impacted in the true pelvis, thus preventing its 
rising into the roomy false pelvis; as the womb enlarges 
in this small space, it suffers irritation, which causes 
miscarriage. Retroversion may be followed by the same 
results, and also anteversion, where the bladder is greatly 
irritated. 

Other causes are inflammation, ulceration, cancer, 
leucorrhea, placenta previa, induration or hardening of 
the cervix, irritable uterus, etc. One of the most fre- 
quent causes is the failure of a rigid womb to expand 
properly, as it opposes the growth of the fetus, which 
must die. Thus an unyielding womb may cause mis- 
carriage after miscarriage, until a habitual miscarriage 
has been set up. The Viavi system of treatment seeks to 
assist Nature to restore to the muscles of the womb their 
natural tone and elasticity, enabling gestation to proceed 
to its natural termination. 

We have seen that in pregnancy the 
Closer Study of heart is enlarged to do the extra work 
the Evil imposed upon it; that the digestive 

system undergoes important modifi- 
cations in order that it may be able to sustain two lives 



MISCARRIAGE 333 

instead of one; that the uterine organs, particularly the 
womb, have adapted themselves to the intelligent dis- 
charge of the wonderful duty that they are called upon to 
perform; that the entire nervous system has undergone 
important modifications that enable it to direct the- new 
and complex forces called into play; that the character 
and circulation of the blood have been changed, to meet 
new conditions. It is intended that all of these complex 
forces should continue in operation for a certain length 
of time, and undergo modifications as. the various stages 
of the creative miracle are met. 

At once a wheel may snap, in this complex and cease- 
lessly busy machine, and the purposes that Nature had in 
view are dashed to the ground. Every one of the re- 
adjusted forces in the system finds itself violently checked 
and turned aside. Could any but serious consequences 
be expected? And yet there are women who look upon 
miscarriage as a trifling affair, and some who welcome it 
as a release from an impending burden. 

Miscarriage strikes at the foundation of everything 
that makes a woman a woman. She suffers not alone 
physical harm that will endure, and that will give par- 
ticular evidence of its presence at the change of life, but 
her mental and moral nature has received a blow. Every 
obligation that rests upon a woman impels her to guard 
against so grievous a misfortune. 

A woman predisposed to miscarriage 
Treatment for should take no vigorous exercise what- 
Miscarriage ever during pregnancy, and should not 
let herself become overheated nor ex- 
cited, but throughout the entire term should live as quietly 
as circumstances permit. 

In miscarriage there is a great danger of hemorrhage, 
from retention of parts or all of the membranes or placenta. 
Not unfrequently the placenta remains for weeks, causing 
a constant hemorrhage more or less profuse. 

At the first indication of approaching miscarriage, the 
sufferer should undress and go to bed, and remain per- 
fectly quiet there until all symptoms have disappeared. 



334 VIAVI HYGIENE 

If it should be imminent or should occur, the prompt 
attendance of a skillful obstetrician is required. Pending 
his arrival, or in case his attendance cannot be procured, 
the Viavi system of treatment may, if employed imme- 
diately, prevent miscarriage. 

Viavi Cerate should be used lightly over the ab- 
dominal region daily, and over the spinal column thor- 
oughly once a day. (See Cerate on Abdomen and Cerate 
on Spine, in final chapter.) 

Viavi Capsule should be used once a day in the rec- 
tum, not the vagina. Avoid douches. 

Viavi Royal should be used as directed. 

Viavi Liquid should be use as directed. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used as directed if 
there are piles or other rectal trouble. 

Viavi Laxative. Purging should be avoided, but 
the bowels should be kept mildly active if there is consti- 
pation, by using the Viavi Laxative, or fresh fruit, or a 
change of diet. 

Hot Compress should be used over the abdomen once 
a day. (See Hot Compress, final chapter.) 



CHAPTER XLVI. 



BARRENNESS 

BOTH men and women may be sterile; that which is 
here considered is the sterility, or barrenness, of 
women, and the causes discussed are those asso- 
ciated with the diseases peculiar to women, and 
are preventable or removable. It is generally accepted 
as a fact that in every ten cases of childless marriages, 
where children are desired, the sterility of the husband 
accounts for one and that of the wife for nine. That is, 
for every sound man there are nine unsound women, 
excluding the rare cases of congenital imperfection. 
This astonishing and unnatural difference indicates the 
prevalence and destructiveness of diseases peculiar to 
women. 

The healthy married woman, with a 
Significance of wholesome training and a normal out- 
Barrenness look on life, desires children; that 
desire is a natural expression of what 
is finest in her nature, and in yielding to it she brings to 
bear upon herself the highest forces that Nature can 
offer her for self-development and usefulness. If the 
circumstances of such a woman's life are not exceedingly 
hard, she will never think of limiting the number of her 
children, but will have a new joy and experience, an 
expansion of her life, with the advent of every child. 

The large number of married couples who desire 
children and are denied them, present a far more serious 
problem than is commonly realized, and the fact that 
the wife's condition accounts for nearly all the trouble 
invests the subject with an added gravity. The child- 
bearing ability is a woman's sweetest charm, and is the 
sign of her perfection. To secure, if possible, that 



336 VIAVI HYGIENE 

capacity where it is lacking, is to assure the foundation 
of womanly lovableness. When women are convinced 
that this cannot be done by artificial means, and that the 
methods ordinarily employed for the diseases of women 
account for much of the barrenness that leaves the home 
incomplete and uncemented, there will come a finer race 
of women through an understanding of the value of the 
child-bearing capacity, and the employment of rational, 
natural means for rehabilitating womanhood. It may 
be deemed fortunate that the Viavi system of treatment 
offers a natural means for securing such a result. 

The sterility of many women is due to 
Some Causes of their neglect by their mothers at the 
Barrenness time of puberty, through non-develop- 
ment of the ovaries. (See chapter on 
The Non-Development of Girls.) A general weakness or 
nervousness may cause it in fully developed women. 
The chapter on Nervous Debility will throw much light 
indirectly on this subject. A chronic disease of any 
serious kind may account for it. Generally 'the cause is 
found in the weak or diseased condition of the generative 
organs. Thus, disease of the ovaries, such as a tumor 
or chronic inflammation, disturbs the nutrition there and 
may prevent the ripening of the eggs. Disease of the 
Fallopian tubes may close them or otherwise render them 
unable to pass the egg to the womb, or an acrid secretion 
from such disease may kill the male germ or the fertilized 
egg. xldhesions binding the ovaries or Fallopian tubes 
may prevent the movement of the egg to the womb. 
The dreadful condition known as tubal pregnancy gen- 
erally results from a diseased condition in the Fallopian 
tube which prevents the free passage of the egg. Inflam- 
mation or tumors of the womb, or the thickening of the 
lining from curetting, may destroy the ability of the 
womb to form the placenta. The chapters on Pregnancy 
and Miscarriage throw light on this subject. Enlarge- 
ment, flexion or displacement of the womb may be a 
cause. Leucorrhea and diseases of the vagina may 
cause sterility. 



BARRENNESS 337 

No woman yearning to bear children 

Treatment for should take it for granted that her 

Barrenness barrenness is incurable unless she has 

positively assured herself that it is 
due to some cause other than one coming within the range 
Df the Viavi system of treatment, whether this condition 
is referable to her generative organs or to conditions 
elsewhere that cripple her. Many women had accepted 
the declaration that they were incurably barren, — as 
they undoubtedly were under the treatment that they 
employed, — and they have been surprised and gratified 
to bear healthy children after adopting the Viavi system 
of treatment. 

As each case may offer special problems, we invite the 
sufferer to correspond with the nearest Viavi office, so 
that suggestions may be made concerning the appropriate 
form of treatment. ' 



CHAPTER XLV1I. 



THE CHANGE OF LIFE 

THE change of life (menopause) indicates that 
the child-bearing period has passed and that the 
surplus blood supply for menstruation, preg- 
nancy and lactation will not henceforth be manu- 
factured. The woman will now manufacture only a 
quantity sufficient for her own needs. Just as great a 
readjusting of her body now occurs in giving up the men- 
strual function as occurred at puberty in acquiring it. 
The ovaries cease their function, and shrivel. The month- 
ly influence of the nervous system upon the generative 
tract is suspended, there is no monthly congestion, and the 
womb becomes smaller and smaller until in time it re- 
sembles the uterus of childhood. 

The change of life is a normal process, 

Change Should not a disease that may threaten life. 

Be Normal Just as menstruation is looked upon as 

a sickness by unhealthy women, so 
is the change of life regarded by those who have not had 
perfect health for some time before arriving at this 
station in life, which should be passed without undue 
disturbance. 

The painful and sometimes fatal diseases that de- 
velop at the menopause do not always commence at this 
time. They have been long lurking in the body, and now 
from the great change within the organism they, too, 
have changed form, and we see developing hot flashes, 
tumors in various parts of the body, hemorrhages, cancer, 
painful enlargement of joints, particularly those of the 
fingers, gout, pruritus, etc. Through the menstrual 
discharge a purifying of the organism occurs; if this is 
abnormal a purification does not occur, and in conse- 



THE CHANGE OF LIFE 339 

quence injurious matter is held within the body that will 
develop trouble. Disease depending upon retained 

menstrual impurities varies greatly in intensity and in the 
time it takes to develop. 

We gather from women seeking relief at the change 
of life that the cause of their troubles dated far back in 
their lives, or perhaps in the lives of their parents. We 
cannot break the laws of Nature without paying the pen- 
alty sooner or later. If vengeance is not wreaked di- 
rectly upon the offender it will be upon the succeeding 
generations; many a woman suffers at the change for 
the unwisdom of her mother. There are more who owe 
their condition to their own conduct. 

Frequently women who, having suffered from leu- 
corrhea the better part of their lives, say that when the 
menses ceased at the menopause, so did the leucorrhea — 
in other words, that they were cured. But not so, for 
they come seeking relief for other abnormal conditions, 
knotty fingers (rheumatoid arthritis), for instance; the 
disease now appears in some other form. 

The change does not come suddenly. 

Preparation for The organism prepares for its appear- 

the Change a nee gradually, and if not hampered 

by disease a woman is not aw T are of 
the change going on until the menses cease. They simply 
leave off. The unhealthy woman is not so fortunate. 
When this great readjusting begins, the waste with which 
the body is loaded commences to change as well, and we 
find distressing symptoms beginning to develop. These 
are so-called characteristics of the change of life, but it 
would be much better to say characteristics of an abnor- 
mal change, as the normal change is free from abnormal 
conditions. 

For instance, observe the woman who has suffered 
with a lacerated cervix for years. The womb has never 
gone back to its normal size; it has also become chronic- 
ally displaced, and therefore, menstruation has never been 
normal, although it may have been painless. Let us sum 
up all these abnormal conditions and ask how this last 



340 VIAVI HYGIENE 

great function, which involves the whole body, is going to 
be smoothly performed. Such miracles do not occur. 
Our records show that ninety per cent, of cervical cancer 
cases develop at the approach of the menopause from 
laceration. 

It is not unusual for the breasts to become lumpy and 
painful during the change; but in this, as in other ab- 
normal conditions of the generative system, the faithful 
use of the Viavi system of treatment has enabled women 
to pass through the change naturally. 

In women who have repeatedly sub- 
Poor Treatment mitted to cauterization for an ulcerated 
Is Cause cervix, and in those who have 

suppressed leucorrhea by astringent 
washes, may we especially look for a stormy menopause. 
These conditions, instead of being suppressed, should 
have been regarded as local expressions of a diseased 
condition, which acted as an outlet for the time. The 
treatment should have been systemic, as it is under 
the Viavi system of treatment ; then no trouble need have 
been expected at the menopause. This system of treat- 
ment has stood these tests for years. Instead of sup- 
pressing an abnormal condition and thus forcing the 
waste back upon the system, with the inevitable result of 
its appearance in another form at some future time and 
be given another name, the Viavi system of treatment 
is aimed to overcome the condition at its source in some 
weakness of the system. 

Again, the menopause, occurring in a woman who has 
bled profusely at her periods, may become a hemorrhage. 
The tone of the womb is gone, the vitality of the nerves 
which govern the generative organs is exhausted, the 
blood vessels remain relaxed and overdistended, the very 
substance of the womb is in so abnormal a condition that 
it cannot grow a healthy lining. This woman's life goes 
out when she has but haif lived it and when her usefulness 
to her family and the world should be at its height, or her 
health is so crippled that chronic invalidism may darken 
her life and home. 



THE CHANGE OF LIFE 341 

It is necessary that a woman be vigor- 
Good Health Is ous when she approaches the change, 
Essential and not in a generally weak, fagged 

condition from menstrual anomalies, 
nervous collapse, uterine and ovarian troubles, etc. This 
volume attempts to show in a simple, practical manner 
how health can be maintained, and how it may be re- 
gained if lost. Upon those who have not entered the 
change of life, we would urge that if an abnormal condition 
exists, the Viavi system of treatment be employed to 
bring the body back to health in the shortest time possible. 
Upon those who have entered this period, their bodies 
hampered with waste (disease), we would urge that they 
too employ the Viavi system of treatment to bring about 
a healthy reaction of the whole body. Every organ may 
be assisted to regain its health. This is the rational 
method of assisting the system to unload itself of waste — 
by strengthening the organs of excretion, which are the 
blood-purifiers of the body. 

The change usually occurs from forty- 
Treatment at five to fifty years of age, but it is often 
Menopause earlier or later. As no woman can 
foresee the time when it will come, she 
should always be prepared. Remembering that most of the 
trouble comes from diseases of the generative system, 
the Viavi system of treatment for any such trouble should 
be thoroughly employed. 

Even in apparently sound women latent weakness of 
some unforseen kind may develop under the heavy strain 
experienced in the change. For that reason, on the first 
signs of approaching change, a woman should place her- 
self in correspondence with the nearest Viavi office, par- 
ticularly if she experiences the slightest discomfort of any 
kind, or lacks in perfect nervous poise. All such indica- 
tions, even the slightest, are notice that intelligent at- 
tention is demanded. It is a very extraordinary occur- 
rence that some distress signal is not given at this time. 
Many women erroneously regard them as natural ac- 
companiments of their condition. They assuredly are 



342 VIAVI HYGIENE 

not. A woman is entitled to all the peace and comfort 
she can get in the change. 

The ordinary treatment in cases where there is no 
obvious cause for discomfort is as follows, and it should be 
started promptly at the first sign of the change, and per- 
sisted in faithfully until the change is perfected, and for 
some weeks afterward, as appearances of a settled con- 
dition are sometimes deceptive. To use the treatment 
merely occasionally, at times when distress appears, will 
be useless; it should be daily and constant: 

Via vi Cerate is to be used entirely over the abdomen 
and spine every night. (See Cerate on Spine and Cerate on 
Abdomen, final chapter.) 

Via vi Capsule is to be used once daily in the vagina. 

Douche. A warm vaginal douche is to be used be- 
fore the capsule is placed. 

Baths. A daily bath of moderate heat, not pro- 
longed, should be used if possible. 

Plenty of wholesome, non-fatiguing outdoor exercise 
should be taken, stimulating drinks and foods should be 
avoided, wholesome food in as great variety as possible 
should be eaten, tight corsets and bands should be avoided, 
and the mental state should be kept bright and hopeful, 
with cheerful thoughts, friends and books. 

Should there be disease anywhere in the system, it 
is highly advisable that the sufferer write the Viavi office. 
Of course, if there are conditions of which the sufferer 
is aware, and they come within the Viavi range of treat- 
ment, she will require the treatment for that condition. 
For instance, if the rectum is diseased in any way, Viavi 
suppositories are required; if there is indigestion, Viavi 
liquid is needed; if any disease of the generative organs, 
it should have the treatment designed for it; if there is 
nervousness, the spine should receive careful attention; 
and so on. Advice will be cheerfully given to all who 
write. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 



TUMORS 

THE prevalence of tumors among women increases 
with the frequency of women's diseases, and rep- 
resents one of the most alarming conditions into 
which those diseases develop. The particularly dis- 
astrous feature of tumors is that under. ordinary methods 
of treatment the knife is virtually the only resort. Under 
the Viavi system of treatment, on the contrary, the 
quality and circulation of the blood, acting with the 
wonderful principle of absorption, and care in building 
up the system, are the reliance. An operation does not 
remove the condition out of which the tumor arose. 
The Viavi s} T stem of treatment is aimed at that con- 
dition itself. The tumor would not have occurred if an 
abnormal condition had not existed; to remove that 
condition is, of course, to remove the tumor. That is what 
Nature would do if she had the power; the Viavi system 
of treatment aims to arouse that power, leaving the 
cure to Nature, which always cures if it has the ability. 
With the natural removal of the tumor the sufferer is 
left in health, free from the condition that made the 
tumor possible. 

Much that is pertinent to the subject of 
Unnecessary operations for the removal of tumors 
Operations may be found in the chapters, A Talk 

With Men About Women, and The 
Ovaries. The declaration of a distinguished authority 
will there be seen, that the removal of the womb for 
fibroid tumors "is an operation that has done far more 
harm than good, and its mortality is out of all proportion 
to the benefits received from the few." The author was 
referring to the danger of cancer resulting from such an 
operation. 



344 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Many women who had been informed that an oper- 
ation was the only possible means for the removal of a 
fibroid tumor of the womb, and that it would continue 
to grow unless so removed, thus more and more reducing 
their ability to bear an operation, have seen their tumors 
disappear by absorption or pass away whole, from a 
faithful use of the Viavi system of treatment. Many 
others, whose tumors had grown to a large size, were 
assured that nothing whatever could check the growth, 
and that if they did not at once submit to an operation 
for its removal, they would soon be killed by it. Those 
also have either experienced recovery or so ameliorated 
their condition by adopting the Viavi system of treat- 
ment as to render the operation unnecessary. 

There may be and are times when an operation has 
become necessary, but they are much rarer than is com- 
monly supposed. It is the unnecessary operation, not 
the necessary one, that we oppose and in place of which 
we offer the Viavi system of treatment. 

A tumor is an abnormal or exagger- 
Nature and Names ated growth of a part or organ, or a 
of Tumors mass of new tissue that grows inde- 
pendently of surrounding tissues. Tu- 
mors generally occur in the abdominal and pelvic cavities, 
have little tendency to spontaneous cure, and generally 
enlarge steadily, at either a quick or a slow rate. They 
are harmful, as they are likely to crowd other organs and 
interfere with their health and function, and by pressure 
on the nerves create various disturbances, some in remote 
parts of the body. 

The origin of tumors is involved in obscurity; there 
are various opinions concerning it; but an overgrowth of 
tissue resulting from disturbed nutrition seems to be the 
most probable cause. 

Tumors are named from their location and from the 
tissues *or organs involved, such as uterine fibroid, nasal 
polypoid, ovarian cyst, etc. The kinds of tumors most 
frequently encountered are the fibroid, cystic, fatty and 
glandular, and polypus growths. 



TUMORS 345 

A fibroid tumor is one that is formed of fibrous tissue. 
A cystic tumor is one that contains fluid in a sac. A 
fatty tumor is composed of fat. A glandular tumor is 
one growing in or near a gland and resembling it in 
structure. The polypoid is one that grows from a stem, 
whatever its situation or nature. A floating tumor is a 
movable mass, usually in the abdomen; such a one may 
be a movable kidney, a loosely attached ovarian cyst, a 
collection of fecal- matter, etc. A malignant tumor is 
one that threatens life, without reference to its nature or 
situation. 

A tumor or a tumorous condition may 

What a Tumor be present in the system for years be- 

Indicates fore becoming sufficiently large to be 

noticeable or to cause serious dis- 
turbances. If we find a tumor under the arm or in the 
breast, uterus or ovary, it does not indicate that the 
tumorous condition is confined to that particular part 
and that a woman is otherwise healthy. If so, the tumor 
never would have formed. The whole body is impli- 
cated, and before a perfect cure can be effected the whole 
body must be made healthy and the conditions out of 
which the tumor arose eliminated. The inability of 
surgery to accomplish this result accounts for the return 
of the tumor after its removal by that means, one oper- 
ation after another being often employed. In addition 
to failing in that essential regard, an operation so injures 
the remaining tissues that the development of cancer from 
such operations is easily understood. (See chapter on 
The Ovaries.) 

It can be as readily understood why 

Record of Viavi the Viavi system of treatment, by 

in Tumors relying on assisting Nature to establish 

a good circulation of nutritious blood 

and to bring the absorptive and eliminative powers to 

their normal efficiency, has established so remarkable a 

I in such cases. If by natural aid offered to Nature 

nditions out of which the tumor arose are abolished, 

h disappears, either by being cast out whole, if 



346 VIAVI HYGIENE 

there is a natural opening through which this may be 
done, or by gradual breaking up and absorption where an 
escape whole is impossible, its components being thrown 
out of the system through the organs of elimination. The 
natural removal of a tumor destroys all expectation of a 
return, since the body has been made sound, and as no 
injury has been done by cutting, no cause for the develop- 
ment of cancer has been planted. 

Some authorities assert that tumors 

Some Causes of are formed from misplaced cells in fetal 

Tumors life which develop later, but it appears 

that tumors develop most rapidly in 
those parts of the body where the blood supply is the 
greatest, as in or near the generative organs of a woman. 
The origin is obscure, but anything that interferes with 
the free circulation of the blood, as tight or heavy clothing 
suspended about the waist, all kinds of displacements, 
menstrual derangements, chronic constipation, inflam- 
matory processes, adhesions, etc., tends to the develop- 
ment of foreign growths. 

Tumors are not always accompanied with pain in the 
beginning, but it sooner or later will develop. Women 
sometimes carry these growths for a long time without 
being aware of their presence, but most of them suffer. 
Pain may be absent for months or years, but whatever 
impairs the general health or lowers the vital resistance 
may start a train of serious symptoms. 

The constant pressure of the tumor 

Some Effects of upon surrounding parts often causes so 

Tumors much irritation that a woman becomes 

a nervous wreck. A tumor pressing 
upon the ovary may not only cause extreme pain, but 
great irritability and hysteria. The sufferer is sad with- 
out knowing why, cries without reason, is discouraged 
and weary, impatient and irascible. The tumor may 
press upon the bladder, and even though it be small, the 
irritation and nervousness are intense. It may press 
upon the ureters, and thus impair the function of the 



TUMORS 347 

kidneys, or it may be in such a position that it will inter- 
fere with the stomach or the rectum, and even cause 
paralysis of the legs and other parts from pressure upon 
nerves. More or less inflammation is present, greater at 
some times than at others. This inflammatory process 
often causes the formation of adhesions, which interfere 
with the normal movements of the parts. Such sufferers 
complain of severe dragging pains unless lying in certain 
positions. Therein is the danger in delaying treatment, 
as after a time the adhesions may become so extensive as 
to bind the contents of the pelvis and abdomen into a 
solid mass. (See chapter on The Peritoneum.) 

The constant interference of kind-hearted but mis- 
chievous friends who persistently try to shake the pur- 
pose of the sufferer in her efforts to secure recovery by 
slow and natural means, and especially those who have 
a mania for surgical methods, often drives these afflicted 
ones to desperate measures, when if left alone they would 
be content to follow up the Viavi system of treatment for 
a sufficient length of time to bring about noticeable 
results. When this period arrives the woman is safe 
from wavering. She knows within herself the gratifying 
changes that are taking place. 

Tumor sufferers coming- under the 

Symptoms of Viavi system of treatment are anxious 

Progress to know how long it will be before they 

may expect recovery. This cannot be 
told, as no two have had exactly the same experience; 
one has got well sooner than another. The time has 
depended upon the nature, size and location of the tumor, 
and largely also upon one's general health and the fidelity 
with which the treatment was used, and most of all upon 
one's vitality and recuperative power. 

:ietimes a tumor, when it is situated in the womb, 
has been expelled whole by muscular contractions of the 
womb, with labor-like pains, when the treatment had been 
used for a sufficient length of time. Others, situated in the 
walls of the womb, were eliminated in small pieces at the 
monthly period; in some of those cases menstruation was 



348 VIAVI HYGIENE 

very painful; in others, the discharges varied, occurring 
at regular intervals. 

Labor-like pains have always been excellent symptoms 
when tumor sufferers were under the treatment, as also 
pains they described as a feeling that something had 
broken loose or was tearing loose. Large tumors have 
disappeared entirely by absorption, not a fiber-like shred 
making its appearance. 

Those using the treatment have frequently felt the 
change in position of a tumor when a change occurred. 
It always meant a curative progression. Great relief 
ensued, or there followed a strong downward pressure, as 
if the organs would protrude through the vaginal orifice. 

Discharges under the treatment have varied greatly 
according to the character of the tumor and the systemic 
changes that occurred by whioh it was caused to migrate 
from the system. Some resembled small pieces of 
fibrous meat or liver, black offensive clots, pure blood, 
boiled beans, gruel, worms, or profuse watery discharges 
varying greatly in -color; frequently there would pass 
pieces of the tumor, furnished with shred-like roots. The 
entire cast of the womb, greatly thickened, has been 
thrown off, or bunches of cysts resembling grapes have 
been frequently expelled. So varied have been these 
discharges that it would be impossible to give them all. 

Under the Viavi system of treatment 

Entire System for tumors not one part alone has been 

Benefited beneficially affected, but a purging of 

the whole system has taken place. 
Every expulsive effort of the body exhausts the sufferer 
more or less. After vomiting she may lie back exhausted 
for a time, as after labor; and so, with long-continued 
expulsive efforts on the part of the body to throw from 
it an abnormal growth, it is only natural to expect some 
sufferers to become thin, weak and much exhausted. 
The expulsion should be looked upon as an heroic oper- 
ation performed by Nature, entailing need of rest. Even 
though one may become exceedingly thin, and one's 
mind, as well as body, weak, if there is sufficient recuper- 



TUMORS 349 

iitive power happy results may be expected. This ex- 
pectation is founded on a long series of satisfactory 
experiences with the treatment for tumors, and we have 
abundant proof on record. 

The gravity of large and rapidly in- 
Care in Cystic creasing cystic tumors demands the 
Tumors attendance of a physician. When 

women so afflicted adopt the Viavi 
system of treatment in the early stages, the chances of 
recovery are much more favorable. For tumorous con- 
ditions that have not become malignant, the Viavi sys- 
tem of treatment has proved successful w 7 hen used suf- 
ficiently early and continued for a sufficient length of 
time. 

Strong drugs, advised to be taken in the stomach to 
stop the growth of tumors, destroy the tone of the 
digestive system, and the morbid growth increases in 
proportion as they do so. They act far more strongly 
in crippling the healthy parts than in melting away dis- 
eased growths. 

Patience, time and thoroughness are 

Treatment for the first requisites in rational efforts to 

Tumors be rid of a tumor. The cause may be 

deeply seated and stubborn. This has 

not always proved the case. Promptness in beginning 

the treatment at the first knowledge or suspicion that a 

tumor is present may be naturally expected to make a 

great difference in the time required. 

The physical condition to be established includes a 
strong circulation, nutritious blood and healthy absorp- 
tive and eliminative powers. Every care should be taken 
to build up the recuperative powers with judicious rest 
and food. All the natural functions should be kept as 
normal as possible. Tight bands and corsets must be 
loosened. The mind should be kept cheerful and hope- 
ful, and all the powers of the will to get well and to do 
what is necessary to that end should be called into action. 
Viavi Cerate should be applied daily over the region 



350 VIAVI HYGIENE 

affected, and also over the entire spine. (See Cerate on 
Spine and Cerate on Abdomen, final chapter.) 

Via vi Capsule is to be used in the vagina every 
night, after a warm douche lying down, except during 
menstruation. 

Via vi Liquid is to be taken as directed. 

Viavi Laxative should be used as directed if there is 
constipation. 

Viavi Suppositories should be used if there are piles 
or other rectal troubles. 

Compresses should be taken twice a week, a hot 
compress at one time and a cold at the other, over the 
seat of the tumor, and continued for thirty minutes to 
an hour. If the cold compress proves depressing or 
chilling, it should not be used. (See Compresses, final 
chapter.) 

Viavi Brush Bath should be taken as directed in 
the final chapter, but if the sufferer chills easily, the 
Salted Towel Rub should be used instead. (See same 
chapter.) 

Baths of the kind that experience shows are best 
suited to the individual case should be taken. (See 
Baths, same chapter.) 

Douches. If the discharges ensuing from the treat- 
ment are copious and debilitating, rest on a couch or the 
bed is imperative. If extremely profuse, hot vaginal 
douches of vinegar and water may be used, very hot and 
protracted. (See Vaginal Vinegar Douche, final chap- 
ter.) Copious discharges while under the treatment need 
not alarm. If the driving out of the tumor is accom- 
panied with profuse discharges, the capsules should be 
discontinued for a' week or longer, but the cerate and 
liquid should be used regularly. If one is subject to 
severe hemorrhages we do not permit the use of the 
treatment except under the care of a physician. 

Diet. Food should be taken in small quantities and 
frequently, as large quantities produce pressure. 

For tumors of the rectum, see chapter on The Rectum. 
For tumors of the breast, see chapter on Cancer. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



CANCER 

THE increase of cancer, one of the most dreadful of 
diseases, is keeping steady pace with that of the 
diseases peculiar to women, and is a frequent ac- 
companiment of the ordinary methods of treating 
those diseases. Drastic measures, in which violence 
instead of assistance is offered to Nature, might be ex- 
pected to have such a result. The introduction to the 
chapter on Tumors applies equally to this discussion of 
cancer. Weakness is indicated in the inception and pro- 
gress of the disease, and strength is its enemy. At the 
beginning, the natural forces of the body might have 
checked and eradicated the condition had they been 
sufficiently strong, and if they had been given that 
strength in a natural way they might have won the 
victory. That is what the Viavi system of treatment aims 
to do, and while it does not claim to be a cure for cancer, 
the victories that Nature has won through it in many 
cases pronounced cancerous and therefore incurable seem 
to give convincing evidence of its value. We much pre- 
fer the use of the treatment for the conditions out of 
which cancer arises. 



CANCER OF THE CERVIX 

While cancer may appear in numerous parts of the 
body, as will be mentioned later in this chapter, the os 
(mouth) of the womb and the cervix are the parts most 
frequently attacked. The disease commonly develops 
between the ages of thirty and sixty. In its incipient 
stage it causes no pain, although the most excruciating 



352 VIAVI HYGIENE 

pain may develop as the disease advances. Here is where 
the knowledge of what a normal condition is becomes a 
woman's safeguard. The cancerous cervix feels to the 
touch quite different from the small, smooth, normal 
cervix. As a woman would detect from touch an abnormal 
condition of the end of the nose, so should she be able to 
tell for herself the normal condition of the cervix and os. 

As this disease is becoming alarmingly 

Cause of Cervical prevalent, our object has been to as- 

Cancer certain, if possible, its cause, and by 

removing it suspend or prevent its 
development. Our observation, which has been extensive, 
has proved beyond a doubt in our own minds that in- 
flammation from mechanical injury is one of the many 
causes of cervical cancer. The inflammation need not be 
intense, but of a low form kept up for a long time. Nearly 
every cancer case has a history, which can generally be 
found. Unmarried women seldom suffer from uterine 
cancer, and women who have given birth to children 
suffer more frequently than those who have not. This is 
evidence that injury followed by irritation causes its 
development. 

A bleeding womb is a serious menace to health and 
even life. A womb that bleeds on touch may speedily 
develop into a condition that will place a woman beyond 
help unless wise measures are taken in time. Women as a 
rule are so prone to menstrual anomalies and the habitual 
irregular appearance of a bloody flow, that the presence 
of a bloody discharge, unaccompanied with pain, disturbs 
them but little. It is only when the discharge becomes 
offensive, watery, and copious that they are likely to seek 
relief, only to be told of a well-developed and incurable 
cancerous condition. Knowledge and care might have 
prevented it. 

The slightest cervical laceration or 
Danger from abrasion places a woman in jeopardy. 
Laceration The free motion of the womb is pro- 
duced by breathing and locomotion, 
and is necessary to its health. Thus its neck is constantly 



CANCER 353 

sweeping against the vaginal walls. If it is lacerated, or 
its surface is raw from erosion or abrasion of any kind, 
a constant irritation is kept up. (See chapter on Lacera- 
tion.) It is the small injuries, to which no heed is given, 
on account of the absence of pain, that are frequently the ■ 
cause of a cancerous degeneration. 

Where no cervical laceration exists, 

Other Symptoms but the surface is raw, as in erosions, 

of Cancer an irritation is kept up by locomotion, 

thus laying the sufferer liable to the 

development of cancer in this region at any time after 

thirty. A persistent flowing at the change of life is always 

a suspicious symptom. If it occurs frequently after the 

change of life has apparently taken place, it is one of the 

strongest indications of cancer. 

From the foregoing it will be seen that among the 
most frequent causes of cancer are laceration of the cer- 
vix; long-standing leucorrhea or cervical catarrh; ero- 
sions, ulceration or any other diseased condition of the 
cervix that renders it irritable to the normal movements 
of the body; heredity also exerts a considerable influence. 

It will not be necessary to enumerate 
Phases of the the different forms in which cervical 
Disease cancer shows itself, nor to give their 

technical names. They may be soft 
or hard, may grow to excessive size, or the parts may 
increase in size little or not at all. Some forms of cancer 
are accompanied in the beginning with discharges and 
hemorrhages; in others the discharge is so slight as not to 
attract attention, and it is only when the cancer sore has 
gained great headway that symptoms develop which 
drive a woman to seek assistance. At first the discharge 
may be serous, pink and devoid of odor, but when ul- 
ceration has taken place, the discharge becomes offensive. 
It varies in color, being grayish yellow, black, green or 
brown. 

When pain does develop it is of a lancinating, pricking 
and burning character, but as the disease progresses the 



354 VIAVI HYGIENE 

pain all through the pelvic and abdominal region becomes 
intense. 

The early stages of cancer cannot be recognized, and 
we find that it frequently attacks large and strong women 
who declare they have seen but few or no sick days. 
Such sufferers apparently remain in an excellent physical 
condition until the disease has gained great headway. 

The progress of cancer of the tongue can 
Cervical Cancer be observed. It is generally induced by 

Unsuspected a jagged tooth, which keeps up a 
chronic inflammation of the tongue, 
this finally terminating in a malignant condition. The 
continual irritation of a pipe-stem may cause cancer of 
the lip. The progress here can be daily observed, as can 
also the progress of cancer of the breast. Unfortunately, 
cervical cancer excites no suspicion of its presence, from 
the absence of pain, and many times of discharges, until 
the disease is well developed. 

Cancer develops also in the body of the womb, causing 
it to enlarge but little and producing no sensitiveness, 
even though the cavity be filled with cancerous degenera- 
tion. It attacks also the vagina and external generative 
organs, the esophagus (gullet), stomach, liver, scrotum or 
rectum, but its favorite seat of development is the uterine 
cervix. 

The cutting out of a cancer or the re- 
Cutting Is Not a moval of a cancerous organ is thought 
Remedy by many eminent men to be worse than 

useless. In the efforts of the sufferer's 
recuperative powers to overcome the severe injury done 
by the operation, the cutting itself may impose a greater 
strain than the cancer, and thus weaken the resisting 
powers more, thus inviting an early return of even a worse 
cancer than the one removed. That is one of the results 
to be expected of an operation. Shock from the opera- 
tion, and immediate collapse under it, may occur. The 
cutting sets up conditions in the remaining cut tissues 
that invite new and more extensive cancerous conditions. 



CANCER 355 

Where careful microscopical examinations have been 
made and the case pronounced cancer, the sufferer has 
recovered, and, again, where microscopical examinations 
have placed the ailing one upon the curable list, she has 
died of cancer. Increased skill will undoubtedly make 
this aid to diagnosis very valuable. 

In each case there is a turning-point which decides 
whether the Viavi system of treatment will produce good 
results. As yet we have been unable to determine what 
conditions have yielded and what have not. But this 
system of treatment offers to the sufferer a means by 
which she may possibly save her life. If that happy 
result is not accomplished, she has done all that is pos- 
sible to render herself comfortable. 

We do not wish it to be understood 

The Curability that cancer comes within the range of 

of Cancer the Viavi system cf treatment. It is a 

fully established fact, however, that 
cases diagnosed as cancer have recovered from its use. 
The beginning of the disease is so obscure that any 
diagnosis of it in its early stages is unreliable, and is not 
made sure until the cancer has developed beyond all help. 
Whether the cases diagnosed as cancer that have 
yielded to the Viavi system of treatment were really 
cancer, or whether an error had been made in the diag- 
nosis, it is impossible to determine. The two important 
things to consider in this connection are these: First, 
a diagnosis of cancer in its early stages means its cutting 
out under the ordinary method of treatment; second, the 
Viavi system of treatment enables the system to rid 
itself of conditions out of which it is thought cancer is 
developed. 

In well-established and early-defined 

Abolishes Risk cancer, the Viavi system of treatment 

to Life incurs none of the risks to life that are 

engendered by surgical treatment, and 

brings a comparative ease and prolongs life to an extent 

impossible to the ordinary method. As there is doubt 



356 VIAVI HYGIENE 

concerning the correctness of the diagnosis in the obscure 
stages of the disease, the Viavi system of treatment gives 
sufferers the benefit of the doubt and aims to build them 
up systemically, and the results secured for many years 
have been gratifying. If it is felt that the condition is 
hopeless, we do not allow the sufferer to place herself 
under this treatment without an explanation, thus 
enabling her to decide what method she prefers to use. 

The profuse and offensive discharges in incurable 
diseases, as cancer, etc., have been favorably modified 
by this treatment, and it has contributed materially to the 
comfort of sufferers. 

Those afflicted with cervical cancer may put them- 
selves in correspondence with the Hygienic Department 
of the nearest Viavi office. 



CANCER OF THE BREAST 

Cancer in the breast is, like cancer elsewhere, one of 
the most severe and fatal of affections. Not all lumps or 
swelling of the breast are by any means cancerous. It is a 
common occurrence for these lumps, which vary from the 
size of a pea to that of a pigeon's egg, to appear, be very 
painful, and disappear without causing serious incon- 
venience. If a woman has received a blow or bruise on 
the breast, and a lump forms, it will not likely disappear 
spontaneously, but will call for a continued and intelli- 
gent treatment. 

The cause of all such growths in the breast, both those 
that give trouble and those that do not, is weakened vital 
action, such as should remove waste from the body in- 
stead of allowing it to accumulate. These lumps in their 
first stage are easily dispersed, but persistency of treat- 
ment is required in the second and third stages. Uterine 
and ovarian diseases are many times the cause of painful, 
enlarged and inflamed breasts, these parts being closely 
connected through the nervous system. In such cases the 
Viavi capsules are to be used with as great regularity as 



CANCER 357 

the local application of the Viavi cerate over the region of 
the breast and spine. 

Removal of diseased breasts rarely proves entirely 
successful. So disappointing have these operations been 
that many advise against them. If after the removal, 
the disease does not reappear elsewhere, the operation 
was unnecessary and the disease might have been cured 
otherwise and without mutilation. If the breast is un- 
mistakenly cancerous, the operation rarely prolongs life 
and often causes a fatal termination. 

In the first stages of lumps in the 
First and Second breast, when they are movable, they 
Stages give little trouble. In the second stage 

the breast increases in size, is hard, pain= 
ful and swollen, the nipple sinks and possibly discharges. 
The glands under the arm and in the neck may be en- 
larged, the arm on the diseased side painful and lame. 
The condition now may be malignant or not. As in 
cancer of the cervix, it is impossible to determine accur- 
ately whether it has passed the curable stage. If it is on the 
curable side of the turning-point, the sufferer's life may 
be saved if she uses the treatment thoroughly; if beyond 
it, by building up the general health by means of the treat- 
ment, life may be prolonged and the condition rendered 
more comfortable than without the treatment. 

A soft cancer runs a much quicker course than the 
hard or withering kind, but both are fatal if not brought 
under the proper treatment before the malignant stage 
has been reached. This stage cannot always be deter- 
mined, even with the microscope. 

It is not the violent and dangerous attacks of illness 
that lead to malignant conditions, but complications of 
the circulation so slight as to pass unnoticed for years. 

When statistics show that in four years, 1901-1904, 
there were no less than 11,364 deaths in England and 
Wales from cancer of the breast, while operations for 
cancer are growing more and more frequent, it is time to 
look seriously for the cause of the trouble instead of de- 



358 VIAVI HYGIENE 

ciciing merely to cut away a part of the body after the 
cancer has developed. 

Before menstruation, or at its begin- 
Signs of Breast ning, a sense of fullness and often ten- 
Cancer derness is felt in the breasts ; it subsides 

after the flow is established, showing 
that they are in close sympathy with the generative 
organs through the nerves and the circulation. Women 
suffering from menstrual irregularities often complain 
that the breasts are painful; the symptoms pass away 
with the appearance of the flow. With the cessation of 
the pain the matter is forgotten, but there is a deviation 
from the normal, and later it may develop into cancer of 
the breasts. The unnatural amount of blood sent to the 
breasts did not, pass from the body in the menstrual flow, 
and this occurs again and again until the breasts take on 
malignant degeneration. Not only irregular menstrua- 
tion, but any other form of abnormal menstruation, 
is an irritant to the breasts and lays them liable to cancer. 

The palliative measures here suggested, 
Treatment of while not offered as a cure for cancer of 
Breasts the breast, are such as in the past have 

brought recovery from ' lumps in the 
breast and jrom conditions which had been declared to be 
cancer and removable only with the knife. Before cancer 
develops, there is a pre-cancerous condition, in which 
the use of this system of treatment may be expected to 
be beneficial, possibly aborting the cancerous develop- 
ment. Where cancer has unquestionably developed, 
special suggestions will be necessary by reason of serious 
complications that may exist. Although the following 
suggestions include such cases, it is exceedingly important 
that the sufferer correspond with the nearest Viavi 
office nevertheless. Where there has been no diagnosis, 
and the breast is swollen and sore, such correspondence is 
strongly urged. 

Viavi Cerate should be used daily over the spine 
throughout its entire length. (See Cerate on Spine, 

fin:.! chapter.) 



CANCER 359 

Viavi Capsule should be used once a day in the 
vagina. 

Viavi Liquid should be taken three times a day as 
directed on the bottle. 

Local Treatment. Treatment suited to the various 
local conditions will be suggested upon application to the 
nearest Viavi office. 



HYGIENE FOR BREASTS 

First Stage: Hot Treatment for Lump in the Breast. 
Fasten a towel 'about the neck in the manner that a bib 
is fastened about a child's neck. Slip it to the side so 
that it will cover the afflicted breast. In the lap and 
under the breast place a vessel sufficiently large to hold 
the amount of water to be used. From the tube of a 
fountain syringe allow water as hot as can be borne to 
play slowly upon the towel, which will cling to the breast 
as soon as wet and closely hold to it the moist heat. At 
the same time very gently press the breast with the hand, 
which should be cupped, not flat. After the water in the 
syringe has been exhausted, the breast should be dried 
and thoroughly but gently rubbed with the Viavi cerate 
for ten minutes; then the entire operation should be 
repeated once. The gentle pressure stimulates vital 
action in the whole substance of the breast. This treat- 
ment is to be employed twice daily until the brea- 
become normal. 

Second Stage: Cold Treatment for Incipient Cancer 
of the Breast. When the lumps are present and the 
skin is discolored, but not broken, it has become neces- 
sary to apply the cold treatment. In doing so the most 
rigid following of the rules herein laid down becomes a 
positive necessity. No half-hearted, careless, slipshod 
method of following them will be productive of good 
results; hence we wish those so suffering, either to follow 
advice just as directed, or not to employ the Viavi system 



360 VIAVI HYGIENE 

of treatment at all. Lie upon the bed, with a hot- 
water bag at the back between the shoulders. An attend- 
ant should sit at the side of the bed wringing one towel 
after another from ice cold water and placing it upon the 
breast, the sufferer being meanwhile closely covered with 
blankets from neck to foot. The towel should be folded 
to four thicknesses and gently laid upon the swollen 
breast and inflamed parts. In three or four minutes, as 
the towel becomes warm, it should be replaced with a cold 
one. The cold towel should be slipped under the warm 
one in a way that will not expose the breast and so cause 
a chill. This renewing of the cold towels should be kept 
up an hour; then the breast should be sponged with a 
little warm vinegar and water and gentle application of 
the Viavi cerate made, remembering always that it will 
be from the quantity of the cerate absorbed that bene- 
ficial results may be obtained, and not from the quantity 
applied. The cerate should be applied also from the breast 
to the arm-pits along the course of the glands. This cold 
treatment may be given twice a day, until the swelling 
has been reduced and the breast made capable of extensive 
absorption, when the cold compresses may be discontinued 
and the hot treatment employed if it feels grateful and 
does not cause pain. If the hot treatment causes pain, 
however, it should be discontinued at once and the cold 
treatment continued until the hot one can be employed 
with good results — when it soothes and comforts. 

Third Stage: For Cancer of the Breast, Open Sore. 
The disease has now progressed until the tissues have 
broken down extensively. The surface is raw and cracked 
and the breast may have deep fissures. Have a stream 
of cold water from a fountain syringe play upon the 
breast, taking care to hang the syringe low, so that the 
stream will have but little force. A vessel sufficiently 
large to catch the watershould be placed under the breast. 
Ice-cold water may be used if it does not cause a shock to 
the system and where it proves grateful to the diseased 
and heated parts. Five drops of carbolic acid should be 
added to each quart of water used. When the raw 
surfaces are thoroughly cleansed by the flow of water, 



CANCER 361 

dry the breast with a piece of absorbent cotton. Apply 
the Viavi cerate as follows: Spread it on oiled silk. 
If that is not procurable, prepare some mutton 
tallow by boiling it and stirring it until cold. Spread 
some of this soft tallow on a piece of linen and over the 
tallow spread a layer of cerate. The tallow will prevent 
the cerate from being absorbed by the' linen. Apply the 
side with the cerate upon it to the raw surface. Where 
the fissures or cracks are deep the Viavi liquid should be 
diluted one-half with water and sprayed upon the parts 
thoroughly with an atomizer. The surface should be 
entirely covered with the liquid spray, after which the 
linen containing the tallow and cerate should be placed 
over the raw surface, the cerate next to the body. A 
layer of absorbent cotton, or several layers of old, soft, 
clean, white linen, should be placed over the raw breast 
so as completely to protect it. 

When parts of the diseased tissue loosen, they should 
not be touched under any circumstances, but left alone, 
to fall off unassisted, as manual or surgical interference 
only aggravates this condition. We have repeatedly 
observed that when loosened pieces were picked or clipped 
off there was a stimulation of the growth. Nature em- 
phatically objects to violent interference in these condi- 
tions. The gentle flow of water will be sufficient to wash 
away the loosened particles and impurities when it is 
time for them to be shed. This treatment should be 
employed twice a day, until a decided improvement is 
noticeable; then once a day will be sufficient. 



CHAPTER L. 



FORMS, USES AND HYGIENE OF VIAVI 

THE character a"nd uses of the various forms of 
Viavi have been indicated in foregoing chapters, 
but it is deemed advisable to put the subject 
here in a compact and comprehensive form, for 
a clearer understanding and easier reference. In addi- 
tion are given the hygienic aids employed in the treat- 
ment- 
While the vegetable substances used in the Viavi 
preparations contain curative principles which have long 
been known, the combination obtained by us is., we believe, 
entirely unknown outside our own laboratories. An 
experience of nearly a quarter of a century has proved 
the efficacy of such combination. 

Where it is said that such and such things happen or 
may happen, or that such and such conditions arise or 
may arise, it is meant that those things have happened and 
those conditions have arisen consistently in the past, 
thus creating the expectation that such things will hap- 
pen and such conditions arise under similar circum- 
stances in the future. Nothing is intended as giving 
assurance that such things will happen and such con- 
ditions arise in any particular case in the future, though 
every possible care will be taken to see that they do. 
More than that would go beyond human foresight and 
power. 

It will be observed that we consist- 
Why a "System ently use the expression, "the Viavi 
of Treatment" system of treatment/' to designate the 
Viavi method. That choice of a name 
indicates the distinctive character of the method and the 
vital difference between it and ordinary methods. The 
Viavi plan, varied to suit the different conditions coming 



FORMS, USES, HYGIENE OF VIAVI 363 

within its range, has three leading features, — education, 
life-conduct, and Nature-aids to health. 

The educational feature of the Viavi system instructs 
in the general laws of Nature and health, and imparts 
practical knowledge concerning the body, and the causes, 
prevention and rational treatment of disease; the feature 
relating to life-conduct furnishes mental and physical 
guidance in ways of living that promote health; the 
Nature-aids are natural, practical hygienic measures, 
and simple vegetable products scientifically compounded 
and of proved value in certain diseased conditions. As 
these three elements, united, comprise an intelligent 
mode of living to secure health and retain it, their united 
use is called a system of treatment. The word "Viavi" 
(pronounced ve-ah-ve) is composed of the Latin words 
via, vis, meaning the way to strength. 

The Viavi system of treatment has 

Foundation of been developed from the results ob- 

the System tained by the persistent use of those 

three elements of health, — education, 
life-conduct, and Nature-aids, — on the ground that all 
three of them are essential, and that no one or two of 
them can be omitted if real and permanent results are to 
be expected. Such omissions have often been attempted 
by those (including ourselves) who have seen the remark- 
able success of this system, especially in refractory dis- 
eases that had failed of recovery and been pronounced 
incurable under other methods of treatment, and by 
others who doubted the essential value of the Viavi 
preparations, ascribing the success to the hygienic aids 
alone. Those aids are indeed exceedingly valuable; they 
are indispensable; but so have long experience and 
thorough experiment shown all the other features to be, 
including the Viavi preparations. All such efforts at 
omission have caused only a loss of precious time and an 
unnecessary prolongation of suffering. The Viavi ,-ystem 
is a united whole, indivisible, and amply proved. 

Its limitations are clearly implied by exclusion where 
they are not directly announced. The conditions in 



364 VIAVI HYGIENE 

which it has proved efficacious are unmistakably pre- 
sented in this volume. All diseased conditions outside 
its range belong to other methods of treatment, where 
they belong to any. The Viavi system is not designed 
to meet those conditions which come unmistakably 
within the province of the physician or the surgeon. 

While there is much resemblance in 

Similar Forms the directions for treating the different 

of Treatment diseases that come within the range of 

the Viavi system, there are still very 
important variations, and they should never be over- 
looked. The resemblance is based on this fortunate fact: 
This system of treatment is designed primarily to assist 
Nature in overcoming congestion and inflammation, and 
a considerable range of diseased conditions arising from 
them. These conditions, wherever localized and what- 
ever named, are fundamentally similar, for back of them 
is a fault of the circulation, and that fault means imper- 
fect nutrition of the affected part, and imperfect removal 
of the injurious products of the disease. Obviously, if 
the circulation is re-established, the immediate cause of 
the condition which results from imperfect circulation will 
disappear. In this procedure the nervous system, includ- 
ing that part of it which controls the circulation must be 
built up to a normal standard. This accounts for the ap- 
proximate similarity in the treatment for groups of diseases. 
So logical and natural a plan gives the Viavi system 
of treatment a special distinction, and offers a sufficient 
explanation of the active support and advocacy of lead- 
ing thinkers and reformers. 

With the aid of two physical means 
Common Sense of offered Nature, the Viavi system of 
the Method treatment has met these diseased con- 
ditions depending on impaired circu- 
lation. One is direct treatment of the part affected, in 
order to assist Nature in overcoming the local weakness 
that permitted the disease to become localized, and the 
other is a general treatment to build up first the nervous 
system, that the natural conditions of health may be 



FORMS, USES, HYGIENE OF VIAVI 365 

re-established, including a normal circulation of nutritious 
blood generally and in the affected part. The idea is not 
to single out the disease and attack it as an intruder, but 
to regard it merely as a negative condition, indicating 
the absence of sufficient natural strength to maintain 
health. Under the treatment the disease has simply 
disappeared; the negative has merely yielded to the 
positive, just as darkness in a room vanishes when a lamp 
is lighted 

In this entire procedure the aim is simply to give 
Nature the assistance she requires to establish health, so 
that its recovery shall be on natural lines, to secure 
natural health, which is the only real or possible health. 
For Nature alone does the curing, and nothing but Nature 
can. If her curing powers have become so weakened 
that she cannot cure without aid, she will readily accept 
and use the aid she needs when it is offered to her, and 
will accept and use no other. This aid must, of course, 
be natural. Nature will not use unnatural, artificial 
aids, rebels at their use, and punishes for their use 

Perhaps no one can know positively just how Nature 
uses the aids furnished her by the Viavi system in pro- 
ducing the brilliant results that have been so abundantly 
secured, nor why Nature is able to use this simple aid in 
removing so many conditions that on the surface appear 
so different. There are theories to explain the process, 
our own among them. But they are unnecessary here. 
Results are what really count. 

It must be deemed exceedingly fortu- 

A Fortunate nate that so simple and fundamental 

Discovery a plan has been found for reaching so 

many important conditions through the 
prime fault lying behind them all. To a large extent it 
renders unnecessary a bewildering scheme of experi- 
mental dosing, and unnecessary, unavailing surgery, both 
of which require long technical training to handle, and 
are therefore inaccessible to the millions. But these 
millions should have a sense of responsibility for their 
own conduct and health, just as they have a sense of 



366 VIAVI HYGIENE 

accountability to civil laws and of responsibility to 
moral laws, and it is good for them to have that sense; 
it is what largely distinguishes them from savages. It 
does not look right to withhold from them the forces of 
self-preservation where health is concerned. Our 
extended observation of those who have been made 
sound and competent by means of the Viavi system of 
treatment convinces us of the wisdom of arming people 
with a sense of responsibility for their own health, and 
with simple, common-sense understanding and means for 
securing and preserving their own health. 



VARYING QUANTITIES OF REMEDY 

By the use of the Viavi system of treatment an adjust- 
ing process has been established, and it proceeded until 
all parts of the system were working in harmony and 
recovery was assured. At certain times and under cer- 
tain conditions the system was able to make use of but 
little of the treatment at a time without creating a dis- 
turbance. This was sometimes a little uncomfortable, 
as all distressing symptoms present before beginning the 
treatment seemed to be aggravated. The amount of 
Viavi ordinarily used may be divided into halves, thirds 
or quarters. 

It should be remembered that when a 

Significance of reaction of this kind has occurred it 

Reaction showed that a re-adjusting to bring 

about a more normal condition was 
taking place; that accumulated impurities or w r aste were 
being eliminated. Extensive experience has shown that 
the worse a sufferer felt after beginning the treatment, the 
stronger the indication that it was needed. If the system 
was loaded with impurities, recovery was impossible with- 
out some disturbance. Cleaning and repairing the body 
is not accomplished like cleaning a house, room by room, 
for the body does not consist of separate compartments, 
each with a door that may be closed until the chamber is 



FORMS, USES, HYGIENE OF VIAVI 367 

renovated. Every part must do its share, and it cannot 
lie idle while the repair work is going on. The building 
and renewing are done by that tireless messenger, the 
blood, which, if not impeded, will go to the most remote 
parts of the body, neglecting none, and taking nutriment 
to all and carrying away waste. The blood must be of 
the right quality, and must flow from the parts as freely 
as to them. And the nervous system must be toned and 
strengthened to assure the proper action of the blood 
vessels and of the assimilative and eliminative organs. 

As the body is a united whole, every 
Symptoms That part must respond actively for the 
Encourage repair work to be successful; hence we 
hear from some that the stomach was 
disturbed for a time after beginning the treatment, or 
that the body was sore and sensitive to the touch, as if 
bruised; the heart may have palpitated, the liver may 
have given indication that it was involved in the repair- 
ing process; the kidneys may have become active and 
the urine either copious or heavily loaded with waste and 
variable in color, quantity and consistency; the head may 
have ached for a time, and the nervous system may have 
been disturbed; eruptions possibly appeared, showing 
that impurities were being eliminated through the skin; 
quantities of waste were probably carried away through 
the bowels. In the case of some women the ovaries 
became sensitive, showing that congestion or inflamma- 
tion was present and that the circulation was being 
established in the parts. As the inflammation was re- 
duced, the distress from uterine displacements may have 
seemed aggravated for a time, and as poisonous secretions 
were eliminated through the vagina, itching and burning 
existed in some cases until the secretions became more 
normal. When uterine tumors were present and Nature 
was making an effort to expel them, labor-like pains were 
experienced, which, although painful, were indications of 
a curative effort on the part of Nature. 

These efforts of Nature should never give alarm nor 
be interfered with. Drugs should never be administered 



368 VIAVI HYGIENE 

to deaden the pains which give evidence of so much good. 
Most sufferers when beginning the treatment were in such 
a condition that they responded to it readily, none of this 
heavy repair work taking place — those whose bodies 
were in a starving condition, so to speak, and who felt 
better from the first. Some have been compelled to use 
the treatment for months before their bodies could be 
placed in a condition to begin rebuilding, while in others 
for months no change whatever was noticeable; but the 
results have been generally graduated to the co-operation 
of the sufferer. 

When the repair work is heavy, strength 
Misconceptions is required for its performance. Ac- 
Avoided cordingly, we have heard some say 

that they were better, but very tired 
and weak. We wish all to understand the changes that 
may occur and their importance to the future physical 
welfare. There should be perseverance in the treatment 
at this time, but if a reaction greater than one is willing 
to bear is produced, a half instead of a whole capsule may 
be used, or even a quarter of a capsule if necessary, gradu- 
ally increasing until the whole capsule can be used; that 
is, as soon as the system can accommodate itself to the 
whole capsule. The cerate may be diluted one-quarter, 
one-third, or one-half with pure olive oil, the undiluted 
cerate being employed as soon as possible. The rectal 
suppositories, the liquid and the tablettes also may be 
used in smaller quantities until the system can utilize the 
full treatment without great effort. 



THE VIAVI CERATE 

The first thing necessary in the application of the 
Viavi cerate is the preparation of the skin. The skin 
possesses remarkable absorptive powers, which are 
extensively employed in taking up the cerate. It was a 
recognition and use of this natural fact that have made 



APPLICATION OF CERATE 369 

such gratifying achievements possible with the Viavi 
cerate. 

Mix one part strong vinegar with two 

Preparation of parts comfortably hot water. Saturate 

the Skin a cloth with this and thoroughly wash 

the skin with a circular movement over 

the area to which the cerate is to be applied, keeping this 

up until a dark substance rolls up. Continue until no 

more of this impurity appears. Then wash off with 

clean water and good soap, and dry thoroughly. This is 

the best way for thoroughly cleaning the skin and for 

enabling its absorptive powers to take up the cerate. 

If the skin becomes irritated from the repeated use 
of vinegar and water, shave a piece of good soap into a 
basin, add a little warm water, and whip it to a fine foam. 
Rub this on the skin thoroughly instead of vinegar and 
water. Then wipe dry. 

Resist any temptation to slight or neglect this prepar- 
ation of the skin, or any of the other directions. Long 
experience has fully demonstrated their value. L'nless 
the skin is properly prepared, as here directed, it will not 
satisfactorily absorb the cerate. 

The user is very fortunate when the skin take? in 
quantities of the cerate. It is never being wasted, as it 
is the amount taken into the body that accomplishes 
results. Slow absorption of the cerate indicates that the 
absorptive powers are sluggish, and greater effort should 
be made to strengthen the circulation by means of baths 
(see Baths, this chapter), exercise, etc. One cannot 
absorb too much cerate. 

The cerate is to be used externally only. 

Application of It should be applied with the fleshy 

the Cerate ends of the fingers or with the palm, 

whichever is the more expeditious 

and soothing for the place to be rubbed. It should be 

borne in mind that the hand, as well as the part rubbed, 

absorbs the cerate, and that the palm, being larger than 

the finger-ends, absorbs more. This does no harm, of 



370 



VIAVI HYGIENE 




DIAGRAM 

Showing Position of Internal Organs and Boundaries of 

Regions 

ThiS V^ e itJ alU l f bl ?^ a K & *?^¥ the re S ion s over which the 
Viavi cerate should be applied in treating the internal organs 
With its use over these organs, the cerate is also to be applied 
over the spine. ^^ 



APPLICATION OF CERATE 371 

Organs Indicated by Figures. 
Heart. 
Lungs. 

Front part of Liver. 
Lower part of Stomach. 
Gall Bladder. 
Lower part of Spleen. 
Ascending Colon (large intestine). 
Cecum (beginning of Colon). 
Transverse Colon. 
Descending Colon. 

Sigmoid Flexure of Colon (behind left ovary). 
Umbilicus (navel) surrounded by Small 
Intestines. 

13. 13. Dotted lines showing Kidneys behind Intes- 
tines. 

14. 14. Ureters, descending from Kidneys, passing 
behind Womb (15) to lower part of 

■ Bladder (18). 
15. Womb (dotted lines showing part of Womb 
behind Bladder). 

16.16. Ovaries (suspended under Fallopian Tubes). 

17. 17. Fallopian Tubes (extending on either side 
from Womb, and terminating in fringe). 

18. Upper end of Bladder. 
19,19. Hip Joints. 



9 


2 9 


3- 


3,3. 




4. 




5. 




6. 


7 3 


,7,7. 




8. 




9,9. 


10, 




11. 




12. 



'&*■ 



REGIONS. 

The four straight lines divide the abdominal cavity 
into regions, and show the organs in those regions. The 
regions are marked with letters: 

A. Right Hypochondriac. 

B. Epigastric. 
( Left Hypochondriac. 

D. Right Lumbar. 

E. Umbilical. 

F. Left Lumbar. 

G. Right Inguinal. 
H. Hypogastric. 

I. Left Inguinal. 



372 VIAVI HYGIENE 

course, as the more cerate the body takes in, the better; 
only in many cases this may not be necessary, and an 
assistant, if one is employed, is taking up through the 
hand much of the cerate that appears to be absorbed by 
the user. Where there is soreness or tenderness under- 
neath the area being rubbed, as in ovarian inflammation, 
rubbing with the finger-ends may irritate the condition, 
while rubbing with the palm may soothe it. The user 
is to determine these matters by experiment, the idea 
being to avoid irritating by the rubbing, and to produce 
a soothing effect. 

Rubbing Motion. The movements of the hand in 
applying the cerate are of two general kinds, depending on 
the place to be rubbed. One movement is circular, the 
other up or down, and a combination of these movements. 
The double purpose of them is to facilitate the absorption 
of the cerate and to aid the movement of the blood. The 
circular movement is better for the abdomen and chest, 
and may be employed along the spine and on either side 
of it if preferred. The up or down movement is best for 
the limbs and is good for the back. In the circular 
movement care should be taken to make the upper sweep 
of the circle, or the one toward the heart, firmer than the 
lower, so as to bring the harder pressure toward the heart. 
In the up or down movement the stroke must be toward 
the heart. The reason is that the rub toward the heart 
assists the flow of the venous blood toward the heart, that 
it may be sent to the lungs for purification, the circulation 
being quickened meanwhile. 

The circular movement is to be in small circles, the 
up or down movement in long, smooth, slow strokes. 

Over the abdomen the cerate is applied with the 
finger-ends, with an outward and upward circular move- 
ment, never hard downward. By an outward and 
upward movement is meant a movement in an outward 
direction from the median, or central, line of the body. 
When using both hands on one's own body, the hands 
describe two circles on the abdomen, touching the groins 
at the lower part of the abdomen and the short ribs at 



APPLICATION OF CERATE 373 

the upper part. The hands when spread out will thus 
cover the greater part of the abdomen. 

To relax the abdominal muscles one should lie com- 
fortably on the back, with the knees bent. In no case 
should the rubbing be rough, hard or hurried. It should be 
gentle, slow, soothing, and should leave one feeling better. 

Ax Assistant. It is better to have .the cerate applied 
by some one else if possible, but it is not absolutely neces- 
sary. When it is thus applied, the assistant should be 
acceptable, and should be one who can soothe by rubbing. 

When it is necessary that one apply the cerate on the 
spine one's self, one will find it easier to rub the cerate on 
with the back of the hand. 

Quantity. Only a little of the cerate, just sufficient 
to make the hand pass easily over the skin and prevent 
irritation, should be put on the hand at a time, and this 
should be rubbed in before more is taken. If any remains 
at last it should be gently wiped off with a soft old towel 
kept for that purpose, to prevent soiling the clothes. 

Time. The time to be occupied in the rubbing 
depends on circumstances. Thirty minutes is the average 
time. If the cerate is readily absorbed, twenty minutes 
will suffice; if absorption is slow, the rubbing should be 
continued longer than thirty minutes, even up to an hour, 
but never, in any case, to the point of mental or physical 
irritation. It is better, in cases of slow absorption, to 
rub twice a day, a half hour each time, than once for an 
hour. At the same time, the user should cultivate pa- 
tience and look hopefully forward to its reward. 

The cerate may be applied at any time down to a 
meal, but not until two hours afterward. This is especially 
true when rubbing the stomach or abdomen. The most 
convenient time is upon going to bed at night, but the 
application may be made in the middle of the forenoon or 
afternoon. It is far better to have a regular time every 
day for making the application, for Nature is particularly 
grateful and responsive to intelligent habits. 

Rlgioxs of Applicatiox. The illustration accom- 
panying this chapter shows the different regions of the 



374 VIAVI HYGIENE 

body and their relation to the internal organs. By refer- 
ence to it one may see where to apply the cerate over the 
liver, the abdomen, the stomach, the ovaries, etc. In 
the following pages are given special directions for apply- 
ing the cerate over special parts and organs. 

The purpose of the application of the 
On Spine and Part cerate is to secure an important two- 
Affected fold result through the skin's absorptive 

powers : one is that the diseased tissues 
themselves may receive the direct benefit, and the other 
is that through the circulation the general system may 
receive strengthening, building material. As nerve cent- 
ers are situated along the spine for the control of the cir- 
culation in the internal organs, it is of the greatest im- 
portance that the spine receive the cerate in all cases 
where internal organs are involved. Largely in this man- 
ner it is aimed that internal inflammation, without 
regard to its situation, be attacked, while at the same time 
the application of the cerate over the seat of the disease 
is a direct attack upon the condition. These combined 
processes are aided by various hygienic measures described 
in this chapter and throughout this volume. 

Neither the cerate nor any other form of Viavi should 
be regarded as a "pain-killer." Long after the pain, sore- 
ness or tenderness due to inflammation has ceased, 
Nature is in need of assistance in the rebuilding process. 
The aim is to bring about real, natural health, not to 
produce temporary and deceptive conditions. 



CERATE ON SPINE 

One should lie face down, or sit on a stool or chair, 
with the back exposed. The back should be washed with 
a mixture of two parts of warm water and one part of 
vinegar, then thoroughly dried. The rubbing in of the 
cerate should be done by an assistant, who should spend 
at least thirty minutes to an hour, one or more times 



COMPRESSES OX SPINE 375 

daily, at the work. Use gentle force to reach the super- 
ficial tissues and a harder pressure to reach the deeper 
tissues, but never more force than be easily borne, nor 
enough to bruise the skin. The application should extend 
from the nape of the neck to the lower extremity of the 
spine. Where the entire back is to be rubbed, especial 
attention should be given to the spine and from two to 
three inches on either side of it, using first the circular 
and then the upward and downward strokes. The spine 
is often so sensitive from diseased nerves within it that at 
first the cerate must be applied lightly. The tenderness 
will soon disappear, and then more pressure may be used. 
Self-Applicatiox of Cerate ox Sptxe. If it is not 
convenient to employ an assistant, the cerate may be 
easily applied while sitting or standing. Rub the cerate on 
the palms and fingers and rub with both hands, one on 
each side of the back, the thumbs being towards the front, 
resting loosely on the hip bone; or the cerate may be put 
on the back of the hand. The lower part of the back is 
easily and effectively reached in this way. 



COMPRESSES OX SPIXE 

It is often necessary to use compresses, either hot or 
cold, to increase the circulation and thus facilitate-. the 
absorption. The following are suggested: 

Application of Compresses. Before applying the 
first compress, always rub the skin to bring about a glow. 
Then gently apply the compress. When it is necessary 
to change, lift the compress up at one side and slip the 
fresh one under; never expose the part if possible. Al- 
ways cover the compress with a dry, warm, thick towel. 

Hot Spixal Compress, to increase circulation and 
relieve congestion. Lie on a bed or couch, face downward. 
Cover limbs and expose only portion of the body upon 
which compress is to be applied. Use a hot-water bag 
wrapped with a hot damp towel. Allow it to remain one 



376 YIAVI HYGIENE 

hour. Use two bags if the area to be covered is larger, 
a spinal bag if the spine is to be treated. If hot -water 
bag is not available, use towels folded to the size desired. 
Dip into boiling water, wring out inside a dry towel so as 
not to scald the hands, and apply for one hour, replacing 
with fresh hot towels as fast as the hot ones lose their 
greatest heat. Dry the body and apply the cerate. 
Alternating Hot and Cold Spinal Compress, to re- 
duce congestion, improve the circulation and relieve pain. 
Lie on the side of the bed with the body covered suffi- 
ciently to prevent becoming chilled; hot-water bags or 
bottles may be placed at the feet and the sides. First 
wring out a folded thick towel from hot water, place it the 
full length of the spine, and cover it with a dry cloth. Let 
it remain five to ten minutes, then replace with a cold 
one for the same length of time, thus alternating the 
hot with the cold compress, keeping up the application 
thirty minutes to one hour. Then dry the back and apply 
Viavi cerate thoroughly along the full length of the spine 
and for two or three inches on either side. 

Cold Spinal Compress, for tenderness on spine and 
back, and for inflammation and soreness. Lie on the bed, 
face downward, with a hot-water bag at the feet, keeping 
the feet, legs and hips well covered, and (if one chills 
easily) a hot-water bag, or bottles filled with hot water, 
on both sides of the body. An attendant should sit at the 
side of the bed and wring cloths or towels from cold 
water, placing them on the spine the entire length, 
covering them with flannel, and keeping the sufferer well 
covered meanwhile. The cloths should be changed for 
cold ones as soon as they become warm. This should be 
kept up for an hour. The back should then be dried, and 
the entire length of the spine and back should be rubbed 
with the Viavi cerate for thirty minutes. A warm glow 
should always follow the use of this compress. 

Cold Spinal Douche, for nervous debility, exhaus- 
tion, and as a tonic when tired. At night, before retir- 
ing, place the feet in warm water, especially if they be 
cold; at the same time sit over the edge of the bath tub 



COMPRESSES ON SPINE 377 

or wash tub, and have some one hold a pitcher of cool or 
cold water about three feet from the body, pouring the 
water on the spine. This will produce a slight shock, 
and will conduct the nerve force from the brain and into 
other channels. Afterwards the back should be well 
dried and rubbed until a glow is produced. One should 
then lie down, and the Viavi cerate should be applied to 
the spine along its entire length and for- two to three 
inches on each side of it. This should be done by an 
assistant, who should spend thirty minutes in rubbing it 
in. 

Ice Compress- on Spine, for inflammation, soreness of 
the spine, nervous debility, and to increase the circula- 
tion. If a spinal ice-bag cannot be procured, a good sub- 
stitute can be easily made at home. It will help to es- 
tablish a vigorous circulation of the blood in the capil- 
laries. Procure a piece of flannel of a length sufficient 
to cover the spine from the nape of the neck to the end. 
Over this spread pulverized ice, then fold until about five 
or six inches wide and place over the spine while the suf- 
ferer is lying face downward on the bed. One should 
then be covered well and surrounded with hot-water bags. 
This compress, when using the spinal ice-bag, may be 
taken in a sitting position; in that case the feet should 
be put in a foot tub of hot water, which should be kept hot 
by renewing a little at a time. The compress should be 
allowed to remain until warm. Repeat for at least 
thirty minutes to one hour daily until the inflammation 
has passed away. The sufferer should then be dried 
thoroughly and the compress followed by a thorough 
rubbing of the Viavi cerate over the region of the entire 
spine. 

Sfixal Sun Bath, for brain-fag, nervousness, and 
spinal weakness and disease, or in cases where the spinal 
region is sensitive or painful to the touch. Applications 
of the Viavi cerate to the spine may be made at any time 
while the sun is shining brightly. After a thorough ap- 
plication of the cerate, the entire length of the spine is 
exposed to the direct rays of the sun; or the application of 



378 VIAVI HYGIENE 

the cerate may be made to the spine while exposed to the 
sun. The sun's rays hasten the absorption of the cerate, 
and the tonic effect of the sun's rays along this important 
nerve trunk is very beneficial. A person should remain in 
tne sun's rays from fifteen minutes to half an hour, or 
longer if agreeable. Care should be taken not to let the 
skin blister. 

Baths. In addition to compresses, which have for 
their purpose an increased local circulation, use baths to 
increase the general circulation. Several are given in this 
chapter. The ones which can be used conveniently and 
which will accomplish the purpose should be used. (See 
Baths.) 



CERATE ON ABDOMEN, CHEST AND 
EXTREMITIES 

Preparation for Massage. The term "massage" is 
employed in Viavi hygiene to mean a careful kind of 
rubbing, and not the elaborate manipulation commonly 
known as massage. Before the rubbing is done, the bow- 
els and bladder both should be emptied. If the bowels are 
heavily loaded a rectal douche should be taken. The 
rubbing should not be given until at least two hours 
after eating. If the parts are very sensitive the applica- 
tion of a hot compress (see Hot Compress) immediately 
before the rubbing will make it much more comfortable. 
If the abdomen is sensitive after the rubbing, a long towel 
should be wrung from cold water and wrapped two or 
three times about the body, covering with a warm woolen 
blanket, the sufferer remaining quiet in bed for at least 
two hours afterward. Under these circumstances the 
massage is much better taken at night, when one may 
remain quietly in bed till next morning, but it may be 
taken in the middle of the forenoon or afternoon, always 
resting for at least thirty minutes and with sleep if pos- 
sible. 



MASSAGE OF ABDOMEN, CHEST 379 

Position of Sufferer. The sufferer should lie on 
a bed, couch or rubbing table of proper height. (See 
Rubbing Table, this chapter.) 

Cerate ox Abdomen. To massage the ovaries, 
womb and tubes, the right and left sides of the lower 
abdomen should be rubbed. The sufferer should draw up 
the knees to take the tension from the abdominal muscles. 

Position for Assistant. The assistant should 
stand at the side of the sufferer with the back towards 
the sufferer's head. The sleeves should be rolled up to the 
elbow. After the rubbing, all remaining cerate should 
be carefully wiped off with a soft cloth, otherwise it will 
soil the clothing. The great trouble with most is that 
they do not rub for a sufficient length of time. Those 
who have been ill a long time should have a rub of thirty 
minutes at night and another of the same length of time 
in the middle of the morning, but the rubbing should not 
be prolonged to a point where distress is caused. 

Individual Abdominal Massage. A comfortable 
and non-fatiguing way of massaging the abdomen with 
the cerate, where one can have no assistance, is to retire 
after sponging the abdomen with vinegar and water; lie 
on the back; elevate the knees. The abdomen may be 
rubbed in this position for thirty minutes easily with but 
little exertion. 

Pendent Abdominal Massage. Use three chairs 
having no seat braces nor arms. Place two of the chairs 
together so that the length of the legs shall lie upon them. 
The third chair should be placed about a foot and a half 
from the others, so that the body, face downward, from 
the waist up shall rest upon the chest and arms; this will 
leave the abdomen unsupported and pendent. In short, 
lie upon the chairs face downward as a boy lies upon his 
sled when coasting, with one chair removed from the 
others so as to leave the abdomen free. An assistant, 
after covering the palms of both hands with the Viavi 
cerate, should stand at the side of, but bending over, 
the sufferer, and with the back towards the head of the 
sufferer, and beginning in the right and left inguinal 



380 VIAYI HYGIENE 

(groin) regions, should rub the abdomen upward toward 
the short ribs and chest, first with one hand on one side 
and then with the other on the other side, the movements 
being alternate. The same results cannot be obtained 
where the sufferer lies on the back. In lying face down, 
the abdomen, being unsupported, falls downward, pro- 
ducing an inward and outward movement, which is 
helpful, in conjunction with the treatment, in establishing 
the circulation. It is of great assistance in overcoming 
painful menstruation. This massage also helps to over- 
come constipation by strengthening the peristaltic move- 
ment of the bowels. It assists also in loosening adhe- 
sions, as well as in helping to right displacements of the 
womb and ovaries. This massage is also successfully 
employed in non-development. 

A rest for the chest and head can be made so that the 
sufferer can give herself this massage, taking care not to 
fatigue herself. 

Abdominal Vibrations. A vibratory movement ap- 
plied to the pendent abdomen following the Pendent 
Abdominal Massage, is a powerful means of stimulating 
the nervous plexuses, circulation, glandular activity and 
peristaltic movement of the bowels. The attendant 
stands bending over the sufferer. The palm of the hand 
is applied to the surface, and slight, gentle vibratory 
movements, not slapping, are executed in such a manner 
as to throw the whole abdominal contents into vibration. 
The effects are marked in cases in which the abdominal 
walls are considerably relaxed. Another vibratory move- 
ment may be obtained by placing the palm upon the ab- 
domen, then making a rapid rotary movement without 
allowing the hand to slip on the surface. The direction 
of the movements should alternate, half a dozen in one 
direction and then an equal number in the opposite di- 
rection. 

Individual Abdominal Vibrations. Excellent re- 
sults can be secured by the sufferer giving herself thes6 
vibrations, following the directions in the last preceding 
paragraph, and while lying on the back, although they 



CERATE OX LIVER, STOMACH, ETC. 3S1 

are n >t as satisfactory as the vibrations given by an 
ssistant while the sufferer lies face down. 

Kneading of the Abdomen for Coxstipatiox. To 
knead the abdomen a quantity of the Viavi cerate should 
be first rubbed over the abdomen, about as much as will 
thoroughly absorb — say a half-teaspoonful. Then knead 
with the list, using a screw-like motion of the knuckles 
along the following course: Begin at the right groin and 
gradually work upward until the short ribs are reached, 
then across the body just above the navel to the short 
ribs on the left side, and then downward to the left groin. 
By so doing the course of the ascending, transverse and 
descending colon is followed. (See cut showing outline 
of organs.) 

Cerate on Liver. Massage the right front and side. 
(See plate. Note how far the liver extends across the 
body towards the left side.) 

Cerate ox Spleen. Massage the left front and side 
of the body just under the left short ribs. 

Cerate ox Stomach. Massage in center of body and 
towards the left. (See plate.) 

Cerate ox Lungs. Massage the chest, front and 
back. vSee plate. Xote how low the lungs extend.) 

Cerate ox Kidneys. Massage the region of the back 
covering these organs. (See plate.) The sufferer should 
lie on the abdomen, side of face resting on a pillow, arms 
above the head, assistant standing at side, back towards 
feet of sufferer. 

Massage of the Peeineum. The sufferer should un- 
dress to bed. While lying on the left side, on the 
free e ine of the bed or couch, the Viavi cerate is rubbed 
with the right hand thoroughly over the flocr of the ab- 
domen, or the soft parts that extend from the end of the 
coccyx behind to the pubic bones in front. This includes 
the muscles in which are the external organs and the soft 
parts extending between the bones upon which the body 
rests in sitting. This rubbing is almost as beneficial as 
the massaging of the abdominal walls. When the right 



382 VIAVI HYGIENE 

hand wearies, one may turn upon the right side and mas- 
sage with the left hand. This massage should be from 
fifteen to twenty minutes daily. 



CERATE ON NOSE, THROAT, EARS, ETC. 

Nasal Massage, for colds, hay fever, etc. Douche the 
nose thoroughly (see Nasal Douche) after thoroughly 
cleansing. Take a small piece of cerate on the fleshy 
part of the finger and introduce into the nostrils. Turn 
the hand around so that the back of the hand is towards 
the face. Then with the finger massage the inside of the 
nostrils at the very tip, where in most persons a little 
depression or sac is found. Massage each nostril at least 
ten minutes or longer. Leave a little of the cerate on the 
nasal walls. Do not scratch the membrane with the 
finger naii. 

Massage for Nose, Throat, Ears. In catarrhal con- 
ditions and diseases of the ears the cerate should be applied 
over the nose, throat and about the ears night and morn- 
ing, massaging gently but firmly. Begin with the fore- 
head and temples, extending down over the nose and 
throat, and then apply the cerate in front and back of 
the ears and down the cords of the neck. This will help 
to strengthen the muscles and tissues and to re-establish 
a natural circulation through the blood-vessels supplying 
these parts. It will not be necessary to apply the vine- 
gar solution to the face, but the face may be first washed 
with pure castile soap and warm water. 



COMPRESSES 

on abdomen, chest, etc. 

Cold Compress over Kidneys, with Feet in Hot 
Water. The sufferer sits sidewise on a chair or on a 



COMPRESSES ON ABDOMEN, CHEST 3S3 

stool, bending the head forward and resting it on the 
arm?, which are placed upon a table or the back of another 
chair. This position allows the back to be exposed easily 
to apply the cold compresses while the rest of the body :s 
covered, and the feet are kept in a foot tub of hot water. 

Cold Compress ox Body, with Hot- Water Bag at 
Back, for pain, inflammation and tenderness. Lie near 
the edge of the bed. Have the body well protected with 
blankets easily lifted. Place a hot-water bag under the 
body at the small of the back, at and below the waist 
line. Then apply the cold compresses to the parts. 
Have at least two face towels. Fold them to cover the 
parts to be treated. Keep one in cold water (ice water if 
possible) while the other is upon the body. Wring fairly 
dry, so that the water will not drip when placing on the 
body. Always rub the body with the hand before placing 
the first cold towel, so that the shock will not be too great. 
When changing a cold for the warm one do not expose 
the body, but slip the cold one under the warm one. 
Continue the application for one hour. 

Always keep the rest of the body warm. If necessary 
take a drink of hot milk, broth or water previously pre- 
pared, the object being to get a good warm glow, not a 
chill. If the latter is the result, the object for which the 
compress was used is lost. Dry the body, and apply the 
Viavi cerate thoroughly for not less than thirty minutes. 

Ice Compress on Abdomen, to check hemorrhage or 
excessive flowing. Use a regular ice bag. If it is not 
possible to get one, use a hot-water bag, filling it with 
finely crushed ice, or make a bag of flannel sufficiently 
lame ^o cover the abdomen. Fill this with crushed ice 
and lay it on the abdomen. The bed should be protected 
with a rubber sheet, oil cloth, or several thicknesses of 
blanket. It is very essential that the feet should be kept 
warm, with a hot-water bag or in a hot foot bath, conven- 
iently placed in the bed. The ice compress may be re- 
newed at intervals until the hemorrhage ceases. 

Cold Compress ox Parts in Which There Is Much 
Tenderness, such as in Peritonitis. This compress 



384 VIAVI HYGIENE 

consists of but one thickness of cloth, which at first may 
be an old, soft linen handkerchief. Even so, the greatest 
care must be used in placing it, as in peritonitis the ab- 
domen is exquisitely sensitive. If extreme tenderness is 
not present, the compress should be thicker. A face towel 
folded several times will keep cold longer. Upon becom- 
ing warm, it should be lifted gently and replaced with a 
cold one. This changing should be repeated at intervals 
for about a half hour, then the melted Viavi cerate ap- 
plied over this region with a soft camel's hair brush. 
At the time the cold compress is being used, the feet 
should be in hot water, a foot tub being placed in the 
bed near the buttocks. After the compress is discon- 
tinued, the feet should be thoroughly dried. 

Cold Compress on Chest, with Hot-Water Bag. 
Lie on the bed with the hot-water bag between the shoul- 
der blades. A face towel of four thicknesses and suffi- 
ciently large to cover the chest should be wrung from cold 
water by an attendant and placed over the chest; then 
cover the body thoroughly with a blanket. The compress 
should be replaced every five or eight minutes with a 
cold one. This should be continued for one hour, according 
to the sufferer's strength, after which the body should be 
thoroughly sponged with warm water and castile soap and 
rubbed briskly until a healthy glow is obtained. The 
Viavi cerate should then be rubbed gently but thoroughly 
over the chest, well around to the sides and over the back 
between the shoulder blades, and well up and down the 
spine. The cerate should be used daily; the compress 
twice a week. 

Hot Compress on Abdomen, Liver or Kidneys. 
The sufferer lies in bed. A thick bath towel, or a face 
towel folded about four times, dipped in hot water and 
thoroughly wrung out, is laid over the region being 
treated, and on this is placed a hot-water bag only par- 
tially filled with hot water, so as not to be too heavy. 
Then cover it with a dry towel. The sufferer is then 
carefully covered with a blanket. If the wet towel or 
flannel becomes so dry under this hot-water bag that the 



COMPRESSES ON ABDOMEN, CHEST 385 

heat is not moist, it should be dipped and wrung again. 
The duration of this compress should be not less than 
one-half hour. The hot and the cold compress is of great 
service in restoring lost reactive powers and alleviating 
suffering. Thorough application of the Viavi cerate over 
the same region should follow, for not less than thirty 
minutes. 

Hot Japanese Compress. This may be used instead 
of the foregoing hot compress. Place a layer of cotton 
batting over the region to which the compress is to be 
applied. On these lay one or two of the little Japanese 
punk stoves designed for this purpose, after lighting the 
punk within it. (The stoves may be procured at almost 
any chemist's or druggist's.) On this place another 
layer of cotton. Retain this in place for an hour, being 
sure that the thickness of cotton underneath is just right 
to permit a bearable degree of heat to reach the skin. 
Then prepare the skin with hot water and vinegar as 
already directed, and apply the cerate. This should be 
done about three times a week. It will be found a very 
effective method for applying heat to any part of the body 
where there is pain or stiffness, and we advise that two 
of these stoves be kept in the house, with an extra supply 
of punks. 

Cold Compresses on Body with Feet in Hot 
Water. Just before retiring, and after undressing, put on 
a warm flannel night gown. Spread a blanket on the bed 
in such a way as to have it hang over the edge to the floor. 
Lie across the bed, with the feet hanging over the side so 
that they may be placed in a bucket of hot water. Place 
pillows under the shoulders and head, and fold the blanket 
over the body and legs, enveloping the bucket with it. 
The water should be kept hot by renewing it. The hot- 
water bag should be placed under the small of the back. 
Cloths or towels wrung out of cold water should then be 
laid over the afflicted region (see illustration showing 
the region of the organs), changing them every five or 
seven minutes, as they become warm. This should be 
kept up for fully an hour. If the feet are tender, salt 



386 VIAVI HYGIENE 

should be used in the water, or the feet may be withdrawn 
in twenty minutes and a pair of woolen stockings drawn 
on to retain the heat. After removing the compresses, 
dry the body and rub the Viavi cerate thoroughly in for 
not less than thirty minutes. 

Wet Towel Compress on Liver. An easy method of 
applying a cold application on a torpid liver is to wet a 
long roller towel in cold water, wring it fairly dry, wrap 
it two or three times around the body just above the hips 
and below the arms, then cover the towel with warm 
woolen material; then put on woolen night gown. Allow 
the towel to remain all night. In the morning wipe the 
body thoroughly dry. In this case the application of the 
Viavi cerate is to be made before the towel is placed 
about the body. 

Hot Compress for Legs. Wring a piece of heavy 
flannel or a piece of blanket from water as hot as can be 
borne and wrap it about the legs, each one separately, 
which again should be wrapped in a dry flannel and kept 
in this pack for at least fifteen minutes, the legs being 
elevated or placed on a level with the body. After 
removing the pack a thorough application of the Viavi 
cerate should be made with an upward movement from 
the feet toward the body, so as to favor venous circula- 
tion. One should never stand upon the feet immediately 
afterwards, but should remain quiet for at least an hour 
if the pack is taken in the morning or during the day. If 
taken in the evening, one should at once retire. (See 
Hot Foot Bath.) 



THE VIAVI CAPSULE 

One of the forms of Viavi used in the treatment of 
uterine diseases is contained in a capsule, and is to be 
removed and placed in the vagina. Its immediate use 
is designed for the generative tract, but by no means 
confined to this one part of the body, as the entire system 
is included. 



VIAV1 CAPSULE 387 

As the vagina is a muscular tube, possessing high 
absorptive powers, the treatment is aimed to extend to 
the adjacent tissues and organs, which are bountifully 
supplied with blood-vessels and nerves. 

From the vagina, the contents of the capsule are 
carried by absorption to the womb, tubes and ovaries, 
which are adjacent. By reason of the very high absorptive 
properties of these and adjacent tissues, Viavi is readily 
absorbed and carried through the entire body, but it is 
applied to the affected parts first. The absorptive powers 
of the vaginal tissues are greatly heightened by the use of 
the proper douche, which not only thoroughly cleanses the 
vagina, but increases the circulation, before the capsule 
is inserted. 

The Viavi is to be taken from the cap- 
How Capsules sule and placed in the vagina. The 
Are Used heat of the body melts it, permitting 

it to be absorbed during the night, 
especially if the vagina has been thoroughly' cleansed and 
the circulation is good. In usual conditions one capsule 
used at night is sufficient, but one may be used in the 
morning also, or the double strength capsule may be used 
where conditions demand more Viavi. In some cases the 
vaginal secretions may be so tenacious from disease 
that even with the proper douche (see Vaginal Douche) 
will be removed with difficulty, and the congestion may 
be so great and the circulation so poor that absorption 
for a time is imperfect. (See chapter on Absorption.) 
The nearest Viavi office will be glad to give whatever sug- 
gestions may be needful in such cases. 

Women suffering from no apparent uterine disorder 
frequently express wonder when advised to use the cap- 
sule. It is through the Viavi system of treatment that 
one is intended to avail oneself of every absorptive power 
of the body that can be made use of, by which Viavi may 
be conveyed to the various parts. When the capsule is 
placed in the vagina and the difficult}' is not there, nor 
in the generative tract, it is carried on still farther to the 
parts that are in need of it. In such cases its use in the 



388 VIA VI HYGIENE 

vagina is the most convenient and satisfactory way in 
which its good effects upon the entire system have been 

secured. 



VAGINAL DOUCHES 

Under the Viavi system of treatment douches are 
advised for tile purposes of cleaning, increasing the cir- 
culation, and healing. They are to be taken in the 
vagina, rectum, nose or ear, according to the nature of 
the disease under treatment. Their principal purpose is 
to cleanse the mucous membrane lining those organs, and 
to stimulate the circulation in the membrane, so that the 
Viavi preparations may be the more readily absorbed. 
They shorten the time and lessen the cost of the treat- 
ment. 

All vaginal douches are best taken while lying on the 
back. A bed-pan will be needed to catch the water if 
an ordinary fountain syringe is used, but is not required 
with the Vaginal Refluent Tube. The bag should be 
hung at a height above the bed that will give a comfortable 
pressure to the water. This varies with individuals. 
Nothing to cause the least discomfort or pain should be 
permitted. 

A most convenient way to take a 

A Rubbing douche is to have a carpenter make a 

Table cover for the bath tub, in the shape of 

a boot-jack, large enough to cover the 
tub. It may be hinged to the wall and fastened up when 
not in use. The douche-water can then easily be con- 
ducted into the body and allowed to run away into the 
bath tub, the part of the cover at the foot of the tub 
being cut away like a boot-jack, so far up so as to reach 
the body when lying on the cover. Holes may be made, 
one on each side, in which to put the heels, so that one 
can easily elevate the knees towards the abdomen. This 
arrangement makes a convenient table for taking many 



VAGINAL DOUCHES 389 

hygienic measures, such as Rubbings. Compresses, etc. 
It is very convenient, because the bath room is usually 
small and can be easily heated. Then. too. hot and cold 
water are at hand. 

The Temperature of the water should be such as to 
promote the absorption of the Viavi capsule. Women 
are not alike in this regard. Some find that water as hot 
as can be borne is best, and by its use they experience 
relief. Others find cooler water more satisfactory. Still 
others experience the best benefit from cold water. Each 
woman must determine this for herself. In excessive 
menstruation cool water is best in all cases. 

The Quantity of water should be from two to four 
quarts. Sometimes several gallons of water are used 
when the effort is to increase the circulation or decrease 
the inflammation. In such conditions a large tin or 
granite-ware reservoir, with a small tube as an outlet, 
may be placed on a shelf at the proper height to get the 
required force to allow the water to flow in and out of 
the vagina, the rubber supply tube being attached to the 
outlet of the reservoir. During pregnancy the syringe 
should not be used after the third month; the parts 
should be gently flushed with the hands instead. 

The Refluext Vaginal Tube has been devised 
to meet all the requirements perfectly. The water flows 
from the tube into the vagina from a number of minute 
openings in its upper end, taking a rotary motion that 
thoroughly cleanses the whole tract, especially the cul- 
de-sacs, or pouches, at the neck of the uterus. By thor- 
oughly cleansing the parts in this manner a perfect ab- 
sorption of Viavi is insured. 

Number of Douches Daily. Usually before placing 
the capsule at night one is taken. Another may be taken 
upon rising in the morning. If the discharges are copious 
or irritating several douches daily may be taken. 

Viavi Milk Douche, for excoriation. Take a douche 
of two quarts of hot milk. This is very useful when the 
parts are raw or excoriated, and may be taken several 
times dailv. 



390 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Via vi Liquid Vaginal Douche. First cleanse the 
vagina with a douche of plain water of the desired tem- 
perature, emptying the water-bag. Then to a half pint 
of water add a half teaspoonful of Viavi liquid, and use 
this mixture as a douche immediately afterward. 

Vaginal Vinegar Douche for Hemorrhage. Pure 
vinegar, at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, may be used for 
severe hemorrhages. In profuse flow the vinegar should 
be diluted half to a quarter with water. 

Vaginal Hot Douche for Hemorrhage. Water 
heated to 120 degrees Fahrenheit often acts as an astrin- 
gent, and is one of the most convenient and valuable 
means of arresting a hemorrhage or profuse flow. A pro- 
longed hot vaginal douche while lying on the back is 
advised. 

Vaginal Antiseptic Douche. Add from ten to fif- 
teen drops of commercial carbolic acid to each quart of 
water used, being extremely careful to mix the acid thor- 
oughly with the water, or it will collect and thus issue so 
strong as to burn. Instead of carbolic acid, other cleans- 
ing and antiseptic agents, such as lysterine, lysol, hydro- 
gen peroxide, etc., may be used in the douche- water. 

Vaginal Salt Douche. Add a teaspoonful of common 
salt to each quart of water, when it is desired not only to 
cleanse the vagina, but to stimulate the circulation in it. 



THE VIAVI LIQUID 

The mucous menlbrane of the nose, throat, bronchial 
tubes, stomach, intestines, etc., possess highly absorptive 
powers, and this important fact is taken advantage of in 
the character and use of the Viavi liquid. A catarrhal 
(inflamed) condition of the mucous membrane is caused 
by a congestion of blood in the membrane, and this con- 
gestion passes into inflammation, which results in in- 
creased activity of those glands in the membrane which 
produce mucus. The nerves controlling the blood supply 



VIAVI LIQUID 391 

in the membrane are at fault in the origin of such a con- 
dition. 

Through the use of an atomizer or nasal douche, or 
by taking into the stomach, the Viavi liquid is brought 
into contact with the mucous membrane and is readily 
absorbed by it. The result has consistently been a steady, 
natural improvement in the condition of the membrane, 
through a more normal action of the nerves' controlling 
the circulation, and with a normal blood supply the con- 
dition has gradually and naturally disappeared. Thus 
the impurities arising from the inflammation were no 
longer loaded upon the system, but were borne away and 
cast out. 

The Viavi liquid may be used in the 
How the Liquid nose and throat by means either of an 
Is Used atomizer or a nasal douche; or if spray- 

ing the throat gags, gargling may be 
employed. With an atomizer, if the proper tubes are 
used, the entire mucous membrane lining the nose and 
throat, crevices included, may be reached. Directions 
for use of the liquid with an atomizer are given on the 
bottle. 

Cleansing Douche. Before spraying with the Viavi 
liquid, cleanse the nose by snuffing, out of the cupped 
hand, warm water to which has been added a little 
vinegar or salt (not too strong), and then blowing the 
nose. 

Nasal Douche. Take fifteen drops of Viavi liquid 
and enough warm water, preferably boiled, to fill a nasal 
douche, which is obtainable at the druggist's or chemist's. 
Place the finger on the opening at the top, put the small 
end in the nostril, tip the head as far back as possible, then 
lift the finger from the opening and allow one-fourth of 
contents to run into the nostril. Placing the finger on 
the opening again will stop the flow, when the same 
amount can be put in the other nostril. Then holding 
both nostrils closed with the thumb and first finger of 
the left hand, the head should be tipped forward as far 



392 VIAVI HYGIENE 

as possible. By tipping the head back and forward two 
or three times the liquid reaches every part of the nasal 
cavities and upper part of throat. The liquid can then 
be allowed to run out, and the remainder in the douche 
used in the same way. This douche is to be used twice 
daily in ordinary cases and more frequently in severe cases. 

In diseased conditions of the stomach 

Internal Use of and bowels the liquid is to be taken 

the Liquid internally. The dose for adults is 

ten drops in hot water three times a 

day about twenty minutes before meals; for children, five 

drops, and for infants, three drops. 

When Viavi liquid and Viavi Royal are both being 
taken, the liquid can be taken one hour after meals and 
the Royal one hour before meals. 

Kidneys and Bladder. Viavi liquid may be taken in 
doses as on the bottle, or excellent results may be obtained 
by taking ten to fifteen drops in a glass of hot water 
twenty minutes before meals and before going to bed. 
The best results are generally obtained if water is hot as 
can be sipped. For infants, three drops. 

A minute description of how the Viavi liquid is to be 
used in treating open sores will be found in the chapter 
on Wounds, etc. For its proper use in rectal troubles 
in conjunction with the Viavi suppositories when the disease 
is high seated, see Viavi Rectal Suppository in this chapter. 



THE VIAVI TABLETTES 

The Viavi tablettes are used in indigestion accom- 
panying liver trouble and are put up in a form convenient 
for carrying. The Viavi principle is combined in them 
with digestive ferments, and also principles that have a 
direct action upon the liver. The increase of strength 
through the Viavi principle combined with digestive ele- 
ments, and in addition the increased activity of the liver, 
have made the tablettes useful as a tonic for nervosa dys- 



VIAVI TABLETTES, LAXATIVE 303 

pepsia and in cases where the activity of the liver needed 
to be increased. When these conditions were present, 
constipation was lessened, because one function of the 
liver is to provide material that assists in the movement 
of the bowels. This combination is preferred in all 
forms of indigestion where the liver is implicated. 

The tablettes are arranged in vials — yellow, brown 
and white. Take one from the yellow vial before break- 
fast, one from the brown vial before the heaviest meal of 
the day (whether noon or evening) and one from the 
white vial before the light meal (supper or luncheon). 
Masticate them thoroughly before swallowing. (See 
Cerate on Stomach and Abdomen. See Baths for im- 
provement of the circulation.) 



THE VIAVI LAXATIVE 

The common idea of a laxative is anything that will 
move the bowels, with no thought of strengthening and 
developing the muscular tissues of the bowels or increasing 
the activity of the liver so that the movement of the 
bowels may be brought about normally. This condition 
is so prevalent that we find many with whom it has long 
been necessary to use daily some form of laxative in order 
that the bowels may move at all. It is unnecessary to say 
that these cases become chronic, and that the bowels de- 
pend upon this assistance. The aim of the Viavi laxative 
has been not only to move the bowels, but so to strength- 
en them and the other organs directly concerned in di- 
gestion, that the bowels may in time act normally and 
without its use. For this reason, the Viavi principle 
has been combined with laxative principles. Hence, 
wherever a laxative was necessary, the Viavi form of it 
was found most satisfactory. 

In severe cases it is sometimes neces- 

The Uses of the sary to take three or more of the pills 

Laxative at the beginning, but if used properly 

and in conjunction with the Viavi 

system of treatment for diseases that are present in other 



394 VIAVI HYGIENE 

parts of the body, one may expect that it will not be long 
before the bowels regain their powers and perform their 
work naturally. After that condition has been established 
and correct habits have been planted, the laxative will no 
longer be required. 

The suggestions given in the chapters on the Stomach 
and Bowels, as to diet and exercise, must be followed, and 
the application of the Viavi cerate externally and the 
kneading of the abdomen and bowels. Not all realize the 
immense amount of work that has to be done. The age is 
a rapid one. Results are obtained so quickly by mechan- 
ics and by inventions of various kinds that the human 
body is expected to answer to the same laws. While 
Nature will do much, it is necessary in regard to disease 
to use the treatment sufficiently long. Various lengths 
of time are required by different persons, owing to different 
conditions. 

The dose should be increased or decreased in accord- 
ance with the action desired. Where the peristaltic 
movement is badly impaired, as in chronic constipation, 
it will require the use, for some time, of two or even three 
laxative pills every night before retiring. If one or two 
pills are found to accomplish the desired results, no more 
should be used, and the dose should always be cut down 
to one pill as soon as possible. The three pills should not 
be taken at once if there is griping, but at intervals 
of thirty minutes, so as to allow one to dissolve before the 
second one enters the stomach. (See Flushing of the 
Bowels, in this chapter.) 



THE VIAVI IRON TONIC 

TABLETS 

Many cases come under the Viavi system of treatment 
with the vitality exhausted and the recuperative powers 
exceedingly low, and seem to demand the intelligent use 
of an iron tonic. Many have been in the habit of taking 



VIA VI IRON TONIC, ROYAL 395 

tonics, for they believe that nothing can be accomplished 
unless they do, and often they worry because they do not 
have one, and thus seriously retard their improvement. 
In many cases they do absolutely need a tonic until the 
Viavi principle has demonstrated its power and there is 
a more normal circulation in the various organs, each one 
performing its functions with greater effect. 



VIAVI ROYAL 

Viavi Royal is a combination of the Viavi principle 
with highly efficient and quickh acting vegetable tonics. 
Hence it is intended to be both a builder and a tonic. The 
purpose of the Viavi principle is to assist Nature to over- 
come disease or weakness and remove impurities from 
the system. By its use, the circulation has been made 
strong and regular, the organs enabled to perform their 
functions properly. 

The addition of the tonic principle to the Viavi prin- 
ciple in forming Viavi Royal, introduces a potent and 
quickly acting element that has enabled the natural forces 
of the system to employ the Viavi principle with more 
immediate results. 

In -nervous debility, depression, ex- 
A Craving for haustion or prostration, or in depres- 
Stimulants sion from disease, or in the weakness of 
convalescence, a strong desire for a 
stimulant arises. A mere stimulant may lend a transi- 
tory strength, but all this has come from stimulation of 
forces within the system, and not by the introduction of 
strength from without. 

Viavi Royal is designed to give, a positive and per- 
manent addition to the vital forces. The feeling of ex- 
hiliration and strength that it imparts has proved to have 
a solid foundation; the benefits felt were real, not arti- 
ficial. It gave to the natural forces of the system what 
they apparently needed to be strong, vigorous and elastic. 



396 VIAVI HYGIENE 

The good that it has accomplished did not pass away. 
It both invigorated and built. 

Viavi Royal under ordinary circum- 
Great Value as stances has greatly abridged the cure 
a Tonic of the diseases of women, children and 

men to which the various forms of the 
Viavi system of treatment are applicable. It has been 
highly beneficial also in convalescence from any illness, 
and a valuable aid as a tonic to women using the Viavi 
system of treatment for the diseases peculiar to their sex. 
For those troubled with depression of the spirits, it 
has been the greatest of blessings, as it at once gave ani- 
mation and made the whole world seem as it should — 
bright,, beautiful and full of opportunities. 

One great charm of Viavi Royal is that it does not 
create a need for its indefinitely continued use. When 
the system has grown strong, vigorous and resistant, its 
use will be discontinued voluntarily, and no inconvenience 
will be experienced. That is simply because it is not an 
artificial brace. 

Some of the most striking of the good 
Effects Upon effects of Viavi Royal have been wit- 
Children nessed in children. Many children are 
overcrowded with school work, and 
thus the vitality that is needed for their healthy physical 
development is diverted. In consequence they become 
thin, or acquire a listlessness foreign to childhood. Many 
of them become afflicted with headaches or insomnia. 
Numerous children not thus burdened grow with so great 
rapidity that the system is put upon a heavy strain. 
Under such conditions, the bones are likely to be weak 
and the muscles inadequate. Often the shoulders acquire 
a permanent stoop. The mental forces are necessarily 
drawn upon to supply the needs of the rapidly growing 
body, with the result that such a child is likely to be 
stupid. Viavi Royal has brought improperly developing 
children and youths into a hearty and vigorous condition. 
Puny and fretful infants have been equally benefited 
by its use. 



VIAVI RECTAL SUPPOSITORY 397 

Many persons, particularly men, find 
For Nervous their powers waning in middle age, 
Debility when they should be at the height of 

their prime. Insomnia, headaches, 
nervousness, irritability and numerous other signs of 
nervous decay make their appearance. These are brought 
on by overwork, the use of tobacco, alcoholic stimulants 
and tea and coffee, overeating, and in other ways. A 
system in such a condition is. an easy victim to disease of 
any kind, which will shorten life and fill it with suffering. 
To yield to the great desire for stimulants in such cases 
is to make the evil worse. Viavi Royal has produced re- 
markable results in such cases. Its benefits were felt 
at once. It apparently found- the weak and impover- 
ished places and built them up. 

Viavi Royal is in a liquid form, has a 

Its Use by the bitter taste that is not unpleasant , and 

System is readily retained by the most sensitive 

stomach. Its use is not intended 
to impose the slightest strain upon the digestive powers, 
for, like all the other Viavi preparations, it is at once 
taken up and led to every part of the body. Every func- 
tion receives its assistance, the weaker giving the first 
evidences of benefit. It has banished fatigue, cleared the 
brain, toned up the nervous system, created a natural 
desire for rest and sleep when they are needed, and given 
to the entire organism a lasting and genuine sensation 
of renewed energy and power. 

Viavi Royal is to be taken three times a day, one hour 
before meals. The dose for adults is a half teaspoonful; 
for children and youths, one-quarter teaspoonful; for 
infants, four to six drops. 



THE VIAVI RECTAL SUPPOSITORY 

The use of the Viavi rectal suppository is limited to 
the rectum, its range including the more common curable 



398 VIAVI HYGIENE 

diseases to which this organ is liable. (See chapter on 
the Rectum.) 

The rectal suppository is to be placed in the rectum 
at night just before retiring, or immediately after stool 
at any time during the day. It readily dissolves and is 
absorbed. It is designed to assist Nature to restore a 
healthy reaction by establishing a normal circulation and 
so reducing inflammatory conditions and the results aris- 
ing therefrom, as are found in diseased conditions of the 
tract. Marked beneficial results have followed the use of 
the Viavi rectal treatment. Both men and women 
afflicted with rectal diseases are invited to place them- 
selves in correspondence with the nearest Viavi office. 

The rectum should be emptied and 

How To Place cleaned before the suppository is placed 

Suppository in it. The suppository is inserted about 

the length of the forefinger, the finger 
having been anointed with vaseline or some similar harm- 
less substance, so that it may be easily introduced. There 
are two sphincters in the rectum, one at the outer 
opening and one about an inch and a half above. The 
suppository should be placed above the second sphincter. 
If the user so desires, a black rubber placer, with which 
the contents of the capsule can be pushed into place, may 
be purchased at the nearest Viavi headquarters. 

Rectal Enema. This is taken with the short rectal 
tube, for cleansing the rectum where that is necessary 
before using the Viavi suppository, and not for packed 
feces in the colon. Hence care should be taken not to re- 
tain the water, else it may be forced beyond the sigmoid 
flexure. This enema is best taken while sitting on the 
toilet. It is not generally necessary if the bowels are 
regular and the suppository is used immediately after 
emptying the bowels. One or two quarts of warm soapy 
water will suffice. In case of ulceration of the rectum, 
this enema should be followed by the injection of a half 
pint of water in which a teaspoonful of Viavi Liquid has 
been mixed, and it should be retained as long as possible. 
A towel pressed to the anus assists retention. 



RECTAL DOUCHES 399 

When the above is not convenient, a small rectal 
douche of warm water, expelled, to insure a thorough 
cleansing of the rectum, will promote absorption of the 
suppository. 

Rectal Douche. Where the upper part of the rectum 
is diseased and beyond easy reach, a rectal douche of a 
half pint of warm water, in which has been placed a half 
teaspoonful of Viavi liquid, may be used. The soft rubber 
discharge tube of the douche bag may be introduced into 
the rectum as high as necessary. The tube is so soft and 
flexible that it does not injure the parts; but a still smaller 
rubber tube about five inches long may be inserted in the 
regular tube, and the smaller one inserted in the rectum. 
The douche is to be taken while lying on the left side, and 
retained if possible. When it is necessary to use the 
Viavi liquid for rectal trouble, the suppository is also to 
be used in the morning. 

By using the Viavi system of treatment as above 
prescribed, every part of the rectum, both high and low, 
is brought into contact with the treatment, thus assist- 
ing Nature to promote circulation, overcoming congestion 
and inflammation, and enabling Nature to establish 
healthy function. 

High Enema. A high enema is taken while lying on 
the left side or the back, so that the water may pass the 
sigmoid flexure and enter the colon. It is better taken 
with a long, firm rubber tube made for that purpose, but 
with care in resisting a desire to expel the water if only 
the ordinary rectal tube is used, it can be made to enter 
the colon. This is the enema taken in constipation, when 
the colon has become packed. Moderately warm or 
cool water is best. Good soap in the water will help. 
A gallon to a gallon and a half of water should be used, 
and one should lie still and retain it for fifteen to thirty 
minutes. Not more than three a week should be taken, 
as they weaken the bowel. If there is catarrh of the bowel , 
a teaspoonful of Viavi Liquid may be added to each quart 
of water. 

Viavi Cerate is always to be used over the abdomen, 



400 YIAVI HYGIENE 

liver and spine when rectal troubles are present, as it 
increases the abdominal circulation and assists in remov- 
ing the congestion in the rectal tissue. 

Massage. Use massage for the abdomen and liver 
and for constipation. (See directions in this chapter.) 
To remove rectal troubles the circulation must be made 
as normal as possible. 



BATHS 



There is probably no other familiar means of health 
so imperfectly understood as that of bathing, and yet 
there is hardly any other more easily understood or more" 
capable of yielding comfort and benefit. A bath may be 
employed either for cleanliness, or as a very valuable 
hygienic measure for promoting health or overcoming 
disease by increasing the circulation. Cleanliness is 
essential to health, and hence the bath is useful for that 
purpose; but if in securing cleanliness injury is inflicted in 
other directions, the purpose of the bath is defeated. 
Again, the bath may be used to produce nervous states 
that have an important relation to both health and 
disease; but unless intelligence is employed in the process, 
more harm than good may be wrought. A most impor- 
tant result of intelligent bathing is the increasing of the 
circulation, which is essential to healthy nutrition and 
the elimination of impurities. 

There are innumerable small glands in the skin that 
perform important offices affecting the welfare of the 
body. They not only constitute in the skin an important 
organ of elimination, to take up from the blood and cast 
out through the skin certain elements of which the body 
must rid itself in that way, but they secrete an oily sub- 
stance that assures the health of the skin itself. All of 
these substances are brought to the surface and there 
accumulate to some extent, and in time become rancid 
and offensive. In this way they produce not only an 
unpleasant condition, but an unhealthful one besides, for 



BATHS 401 

they close the minute pores of the skin, which perform 
an important service to the general economy. 

The watery elements of the skin secretions (always 
coming to the surface, but imperceptible unless from heat 
or vigorous exercise it is copious, when it is known as 
sweat), are taken up by the clothes or evaporated by the 
air, leaving a residue. It is this that becomes rancid in 
time, giving a disagreeable odor to the skin, or to clothes 
that have been worn too long. Among the elements 
undergoing this decomposition is the oily substance that 
the skin secretes for its own health. Under ordinary 
conditions, the decomposition of these secretions occurs 
in a few days. Hence a cleansing bath need not be taken 
under ordinary circumstances oftener than every few 
days. 

A cleansing bath is one in which soap is used, and the 
cleansing process is promoted by the use of warm or hot 
water. If soap is not used, there will be comparatively 
little cleansing, but other good effects will be secured. 
This is an important fact, because it is ordinarily not 
advisable to cleanse the skin oftener than once or twice a 
week, yet it may be highly essential to bathe much oftener. 
As the oily secretion serves a most useful purpose, its 
too frequent removal will invite disease. We may avoid 
that danger by taking frequent baths that do not cleanse, 
and cleansing baths as often as needed. 

Cold Baths. Baths of extreme temperatures, par- 
ticularly cold, give a violent shock to the nervous system. 
Countless nerve filaments terminate in the skin, and every 
one of them receives the shock and transmits it to the en- 
tire system. This shock might be beneficial in some cases, 
particularly those associated with nervous troubles, weak- 
ness or derangement, as insomnia, debility, obesity, etc.; 
but unless extreme care is taken it will do more harm than 
good, allowance being made for differences among in- 
dividuals, and for the resultant fact that what may prove 
good for one may not for another. If a very cold bath is 
taken, it should not last over thirty seconds. It should 
never be taken while the body, or any part of it, is cold. 



402 VIAVI HYGIENE 

It should be taken only after some sharp exercise or a good 
rub that has rendered the skin warm and moist. After it, 
the body should be dried and rubbed very vigorously un- 
til a red, tingling glow appears all over it. The best time 
for taking it is just before going to bed. It may be taken 
on first arising, if every precaution against chilling is 
employed immediately afterward. The cold bath is a 
good invigorator if one is careful to follow the above 
directions closely. 

Hot Bath. The hot bath does not impose so severe 
a strain as the cold bath. It should not be taken when 
the body is hot and moist, nor for two hours after eating. 
The water should be gradually cooled before coming from 
it by letting in cold water. Very robust persons are 
benefited by a cold shower instead of this cooling pro- 
cess. One should not remain in a hot bath longer than 
twenty minutes. Drying and quick dressing should fol- 
low, as the body is rendered exceptionally susceptible to 
taking cold. The hot bath may be taken two or three 
times a week. 

Hot Bath and Cold Spray. This is especially bene- 
ficial after being rubbed with the cerate, and is best 
taken before retiring. It is very refreshing, and may 
be taken every night if neither too weakening nor too 
stimulating; otherwise it may be taken every other night. 
Lie in a bath tub full of water as hot as can be borne, keep- 
ing the temperature high by allowing the hot water to run 
in while the cool water is running out slowly. The person 
should remain in the water fifteen to thirty minutes, or 
until the body becomes very red, indicating that the blood 
is coming to the surface. The body should be rubbed 
(if possible by an assistant) gently with the bare hand 
while in the water. Having been in the water the re- 
quired time, allow half of the water to run out. Stand up 
in the remaining water, which is still hot, and spray or 
sponge the body quickly for half a minute, with cold 
water. Get out of the tub and thoroughly dry the body 
with vigorous rubbing and at once retire to a warm 
bed. The cerate which has been absorbed into the skin 



BATHS 403 

will, by the aid of the increased circulation, be carried 
quickly into the body, leaving the skin clean. If one is 
hungry, a little very digestible food or drink may be 
taken. Sleep will be very refreshing. 

Swimming Bath. If possible, and one is sufficiently 
strong, salt swimming baths should be taken. They may 
be either hot or cold, according to the constitution of the 
person. Some are so weak that cold baths are unbearable. 
Swimming is an excellent means for securing a good circu- 
lation, but such a bath should never be indulged in when 
one is tired or until two to four hours after eating, else 
digestion will be impaired. 

Salt Sponge Bath. If the circulation is very slug- 
gish, a toning effect may be obtained by taking a cold 
salt sponge bath in the morning, in the following manner: 
To an ordinary basin of water, add a handful of sea-salt, 
and sponge off the entire body, afterwards rubbing thor- 
oughly until the skin assumes a warm, healthy glow. The 
salt may be added to the water at night, so that it will 
be ready for the morning. This bath should be done as 
quickly as possible. 

Dry Salt Rub. Rubbing the body daily with dry salt 
is exceedingly beneficial as a tonic. Take a saucer of 
common salt and about a quart of water; dip the hand in 
water and then in the salt, rubbing the body thoroughly. 
Afterwards the body may be sponged and well dried. If 
the person is susceptible to cold, only that part of the 
body which is being rubbed should be exposed. 

Dry Salted Towel. A very effective method for es- 
tablishing the circulation by a dry method, is by rubbing 
the body every morning with a salted towel, prepared in 
the following manner: Make some brine (using sea-salt, 
if available), strong enough to float an egg. Saturate a 
towel in this brine and hang it up to dry without wringing. 
The towel is now thoroughly filled with salt and ready 
to use. It tones the skin, hardens the muscles, beautifies 
the complexion and increases the circulation; at the same 
time, there is no liability to cold. Use no water after 
the rubbing. Several towels may be prepared at once. 



404 VIAVI HYGIENE 

Each towel should be used as long as sufficient salt re- 
mains in it to produce a refreshing effect. This method is 
especially useful in those conditions where water cannot 
be used, because of taking cold easily, or when water is 
not obtainable. 

Via vi Brush Bath. Prepare a solution of one part 
strong vinegar and two parts comfortably hot water. 
Saturate a face cloth with this and rub the entire body 
with a circular movement, until a dark substance appears 
on the surface of the skin. Then wash off with clean 
water and good soap; dry thoroughly. Afterwards 
brush the body from head to foot with a flexible flesh- 
brush or hair-gloves that do not cut the skin. (Burlap 
is a good substitute.) Brush the soles of the feet well. 
Rub until the body has a warm, healthy glow. Then rub 
the Viavi cerate over those parts of the body which are 
affected. Take the bath in the middle of the forenoon, 
if possible, and rest afterward; if not, take it just before 
retiring. 

Vapor Bath. Use a chair with a solid wooden seat 
(never a chair with an open seat of any kind), and under 
it place an oil or alcohol stove. Light the stove, and on 
it set a vessel of boiling water, which should be kept 
boiling by the stove. Undress completely and sit on the 
chair. The feet may or may not be put into hot water, 
but it is better if they are. Cover the body from the 
neck down with a blanket or a rubber gossamer, so that 
it will reach to the floor all around and form a tent over 
the body and chair, thus preventing the escape of the 
steam. Remain in this bath for twenty minutes. If 
there is any rush of blood to the head a towel wet with 
cold water should be placed upon the head or about the 
neck. This bath will produce a copious sweating, which 
in turn will cause intense thirst. Water, not ice- 
cold, should be drunk sparingly, a little at a time and 
often. The temperature of the bath may safely range 
from 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, but should not 
exceed 140 degrees. An unwise degree of heat will 
generally be announced by great discomfort. A better 



BATHS 4G5 

plan is to hold a thermometer in the hand and pass it 
out every few minutes for examination. After the bath 
the body is to be well sponged off with warm water; or, 
if it is possible to take this bath in a warmed bath 
room, have the bath tub half full of hot water. Step 
into it quickly from the vapor bath with the least pos- 
sible exposure of the body to the air, and remain in the 
hot bath until the water has become cool by the run- 
ning of cold water into it. Portable cabinets are made 
for taking this bath. They are better than a blanket, 
but a blanket meets the requirements if a box cannot be 
procured. This bath should be taken from one to three 
times a week, as the strength permits, but is never to be 
taken if there is a tendency to heart trouble. 

Hot Air Bath. This is taken exactly as the Vapor 
Bath, except that the water on the stove in the cabinet 
is omitted, only dry, hot air being employed. 

Blanket Bath. This should be taken in case the 
system needs invigorating. Take a heavy all-wool double 
blanket, a vessel of hot water and a bar of good soap. 
Dip the soap into the water and rub it on the blanket 
until the latter is thoroughly covered with lather. Fold 
the blanket lengthwise three times, doubling it each 
time; then roll it up in the shape of a bottle. Pour 
a kettle of hot water into each end of the roll. Having 
undressed in the meantime, wrap the blanket closely 
about the body from the chin to the feet, tucking it closely 
to the body. Wrap around this a heavy comforter, to 
retain the heat. Sit in this until a perspiration begins, 
or until the blanket begins to get a little cold — say from 
fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove the blanket a little at 
a time and wash the body with a solution of one part 
strong vinegar and two parts water. Care should be 
"exercised that cold is not taken. When this has been 
done thoroughly, rub the body with warm olive oil in 
which has been mixed a half teaspoonful of the Viavi 
cerate. Wipe off with a soft towel. Then go to bed 
and rest; sleep if possible. This bath should not be 
taken oftener than once a week. An assistant is re- 



406 -VIAVI HYGIENE 

quired to give it properly and assure the best results. 

Sun Bath. The sun bath will prove of great benefit 
to both the weakly and the strong, in the latter to pre- 
serve strength and vigor, in the former to regain it. 
The room should be well warmed and accessible to the 
full rays of the noonday sun. A blanket should be thrown 
over a stool and the person should sit upon it, entirely de- 
void of clothing, for about a half hour, in the direct rays 
of the sun, turning at intervals so that each part may 
receive the effects. This bath allows the skin to breathe 
in the oxygen, while the sun acts as a powerful tonic to 
the nerves. To keep up a slight degree of exercise if the 
person so wishes, the body may be lightly brushed over 
with a soft brush, but this is not a necessity. 



SITZ BATHS 

Cold Sitz Bath. Take a sitz bath of moderately 
warm water, keeping the feet in hot water and the shoul- 
ders well covered. A good plan, where a regular sitz and 
foot tub is not available, is to take a small, ordinary wash- 
tub, and place it inside the regular bath tub, turning it 
partially on its side and filling it with lukewarm water. 
Sit in the water, and put the feet in hot water, which may 
be in the bathtub itself or in a bucket. Then allow cold 
water to run into the tub in which the person is sitting ,, 
until it is barely warm, or even cold if it does not chill. 
Remain in the water for five or ten minutes. Afterwards 
rub well with a rough towel. This bath may be taken two 
or three times a week. 

Hot Sitz Bath. This is often beneficial. It is taken 
in the same manner as the cold sitz bath, except that 
hot water is used and there is no necessity for placing the^ 
feet in hot water. The hot sitz bath should be seldom 
used where there is a tendency to piles, as it favors venous 
congestion of the rectum. 

Instantaneous Sitz Bath. This bath is taken 



FOOT BATHS 407 

by sitting in cold water for one instant, then drying 
the 'body thoroughly. It is best taken at night just be- 
fore retiring. It has often been the means, where one was 
troubled at night with restlessness and insomnia, of 
producing a restful and refreshing sleep. It may be 
taken during the night if the person sleeps well during 
the first part of the night and is restless during the latter 
part, by those who are accustomed to cold water. 



FOOT BATHS 

The feet should never be plunged into water that 
is either very hot or very cold. Such treatment distresses 
or tortures. The. proper way is to use lukewarm water, 
of a temperature that is perfectly pleasant, and then 
gradually bring the temperature to the desired point by 
adding hot or cold water, and, if necessary, dipping out 
the excess. In this way much hotter or colder water can 
be borne agreeably. 

Cold Foot Bath. This assists in equalizing the cir- 
culation. After the feet have been placed in the tub con- 
taining water of a comfortable temperature, cold water 
should be added until the bath is sufficiently cold, and 
the feet should remain in the bath from five to ten minutes. 
Then dry them and rub them thoroughly with the Viavi 
cerate. This will produce a grateful feeling of warmth by 
bringing the blood to the extremities. This bath taken 
by those who have stood or walked until the feet are tired 
or bruised, with a thorough rubbing in of the cerate on 
the feet, will overcome the distress and produce a refresh- 
ing rest. 

Hot Foot Bath, with Salt or Vinegar. The hot 
foot bath is best taken by adding hot water to the luke- 
warm water until the bath is sufficiently hot. The feet 
should remain in the bath from ten to twenty minutes. 
It should be followed with a vigorous rubbing in of the 
Viavi cerate. This bath draws the blood from the head 



408 VIAVI HYGIENE 

and trunk to the extremities, and assists greatly in over- 
coming congestion, relieving congestive headache and 
equalizing the circulation. Either a little salt or pure 
vinegar may be added to the bath, with beneficial results. 
The hot foot bath should always be used when a cold 
compress is used on any other part of the body. 

Hot Foot Bath in Bed. A foot tub or bucket two- 
thirds filled with warm water is placed in the bed under 
the covers and close to the buttocks, while the knees are so 
raised that the feet may rest easily in the vessel. The 
water may be kept hot by dipping out a part and adding 
hot water. The bed-clothes should be tucked closely 
around the person to prevent the escape of steam and 
heat. A cloth should be placed between the buttocks 
and the vessel. This foot bath is followed by refreshing 
rest of the whole body, with relaxation and much relief 
from pain. The bath should be removed from the bed 
in from twenty to forty minutes, and the feet and legs 
rolled separately in a flannel or blanket without drying. 

Foot Bath for Cold Feet. Dip the feet in cold 
water and hol'd them there for one minute; then plunge 
them immediately into water as hot as can be borne. Do 
this five times, alternating the cold water with the hot. A 
convenient way for doing this is to have two foot tubs 
side by side, one containing cold water and the other 
hot, or by setting the hot-water tub in a bath tub con- 
taining a few inches of cold water and sitting on the 
edge of the bath tub. After the bath dry the feet and 
rub them thoroughly with the Viavi cerate. 

Vapor Bath for Feet or Legs. A rather wide and 
thick blanket is placed lengthwise upon a chair, upon 
which one sits with feet and legs bare. A wooden foot 
tub, keeler or bucket is a little more than half filled with 
boiling water and placed before one. On the top of the 
vessel are placed slats or a coarse sieve, on which to 
rest the feet. Great care must be taken to secure the foot 
rest, in order to prevent scalding the feet. A small stool 
or a wooden block may be placed in the bath for this 
purpose. When one is ready, with the feet on the slats. 



ADJUNCTS TO TREATMENT 409 

over the steaming water, the blanket is laid around the 
vessel and over the knees closely, to prevent the steam 
from escaping. This bath may be continued for thirty 
minutes. Then one foot and leg are taken from the bath 
and quickly sponged with cold water, and dried with a 
soft towel. The second extremity is given the same treat- 
ment. Like the other foot baths, this is followed by a 
thorough rubbing of the Viavi cerate. This foot bath is 
not to be used oftener than once or twice a week. 



ADJUNCTS TO THE TREATMENT 

Every woman should keep in the house, in some definite 
place reserved for the purpose, the following articles, all 
of which are useful as adjuncts to the Viavi system of 
treatment, and some are greatly needed in emergencies: 

Hot Water Bag holding at least two quarts. 

Two Rubber Ice Bags. 

Two Japanese Punk Stoves, with extra punks, for 
the application of heat. 

Douche Bag holding three quarts, or 

Douche Reservoir holding three or four quarts. 
The reservoir is of white enameled steel, is of the shape of a 
half cylinder, is open at the top, and is provided with a 
spout at the bottom, to which a rubber tube is easily 
attached, and at the top a loop for hanging on a nail, or 
it may be set on a shelf. Its cost is usually somewhat 
greater than that of a rubber bag, but it is virtually in- 
destructible, and therefore more economical in the end, 
and is much more sanitary. It may be procured at 
druggists' or chemists'. 

White Enameled Metal Bed Pan, and to use with 
it a flannel or blanket cover over the part on which the 
back rests, to prevent the cold metal from causing distress. 
Or, in place of the flannel, the bed pan may be warmed 
before using. 



410 VIAVI HYGIENE 

White Enameled Foot Tub. A dish pan of this 
material will serve, or one of tin, or a wooden tub 

Oiled Silk. 

Absorbent Cotton, sold in packages by druggists 
and chemists; or if this cannot be had, use old but clean 
and soft table-cloths, sheets, etc. 

Thermometer (Fahrenheit) for determining the heat 
of water used for douches and baths. This is not the 
ordinary thermometer for indicating atmospheric tem- 
perature, as such an instrument may break if put into hot 
water. A special thermometer for water is sold by chem- 
ists or druggists; it is partly enclosed in wood. This in- 
strument is a necessity, as the usual method of ascertaining 
the heat of water by putting the hand in it is unreliable ; 
the hand may be much less sensitive to heat at one time 
than another, and scalding of the vagina or rectum may 
result. The ordinary temperature for hot douches is 110 
degrees Fahrenheit, but it will be observed in some of the 
directions that in special cases 120 degrees are called for. 
It is impossible to be certain of these temperatures without 
a thermometer, and no risk of scalding should be taken. 

Soft, Clean Old Linen, but if that is not con- 
venient, worn-out cotton bed-sheets will serve. It should 
be kept fresh and sweet. 

Soft, Clean Old Woolen Cloth. 

Old Linen Towels and Handkerchiefs. 

Rolls of Surgical Bandages, from two to three 
inches wide, for sprains, cuts, burns, varicose veins, etc.; 
procurable from chemists or druggists. 

Glass Nasal Douche, procurable from druggists or 
chemists. 

Mutton Tallow, Paraffin or Beeswax, to spread 
on cloth in connection with the use of Viavi cerate as 
directed in certain cases. As tallow becomes rancid, it 
should be freshly prepared frequently. While it is pre- 
ferred to beeswax or paraffin, either of these is better than 
poor tallow, and one of them should be kept on hand for 



ADJUNCTS TO TREATMENT 411 

an emergency. This is easily melted in a vessel set in 
boiling water, and is best spread with a brush. 

Camel's Hair Brush, for applying the cerate in 
certain cases where directed. 

Oxe-inch Flat Paint Brush, for spreading the cerate 
on cloth covered with tallow or paraffin. 

Vaseline. 

Olive Oil. 

Pure Vinegar. 

Commercial Carbolic Acid, great care being taken to 
keep it out of the reach of children. 

Rubbing Table on the bath tub, as described in this 
chapter. 



THE END 



INDEX 



ABDOMEN, compresses on, 382-6 
kneading of, 381 

massage of, 378 

Viavi cerate on, 378 

vibration ©f, 380 
Abdominal Walls, operations injure, 259 

pregnancy and lax, 309 

treatment of, 297-301 
Abortion, see Miscarriage 
Abscess, of ears, 138 
liver, 124 
rectum. 112 
Absorption, of adhesions, see Adhesions 
tumors, see Tumors 

uses of, 56-8 

Viavi treatment employs, 58 
Adhesions, absorbed in pregnancy, 310 

barrenness caused by, 336 

causes and treatment of, 293-6 

massage for, 380 

pleurisy causes, 96 

tumors cause, 347 
Amenorrhea, causes and treatment of, 218-222 
Anteflexion, causes and treatment of, 262, 268 
Anteversion, causes and treatment of, 260-62, 

268-9 
Anus, see Rectum 
Apoplexy, cause of, 69 
Appendicitis, cause of, 69 

operations for, 165 
Asthma, cause of, 69 

see Lungs 



B 



A.CK, see Spine 



Barrenness, anteflexion causes, 262 
causes and treatment of, 335-7 

Baths, directions for, 407-409 
foot, 407 
sitz, 406 

Bile, see Liver 

Biliousness, see Liver 

Bladder, anteversion affects, 260-61 
children's weakness of, 148 
diseases and treatment of, 128-131 
operations on womb affect, 259 
uterine prolapsus affects, 266 

tumors affect, 260-61 
vaginal diseases affect, 241-6 
Viavi liquid for, 390 

Blood, adhesions absorbed by, 295 
catarrhal conditions drain, 80 
circulation of, 46-52 



Blood, composition of, 47 

congestion of, see Congestion in womb, 
254 

disease impoverishes, 46 

renders impure, 52 

laceration causes poisoning of, 325 

leucorrhea affects, 237 

lung diseases affect, 91 

milk derived from, 321 

poisoned by neglect of bowels, 33 

purification of, 49, 90 

retroversion affects, 263 

supply of uterine organs, 193 

work of, 38, 46 
Bowels, description of, 100 

diseases and treatment of, 107 

kneading of, for constipation, 381 

regularity of, essential, 33, 107 

see Rectum 

Viavi laxative for, 393 
Brain, description of, 38 

disease affects, 40 

insomnia injures, 74 

see Circulation, Nervous System 
Breasts, cancer of, 356-61 

diseases and treatment of, 316-18 

lumps in, at change of life, 340 
Bronchitis, colds cause, 84 

nature and treatment of, 91-3 
Burns, treatment for, 145 

CANCER, development of, 182-7 
laceration causes, 236 
miscarriage caused by, 332 
of breasts, 356 

operations cause, 165, 169-70 
origin of, 346 
rectal, 120 
Catarrh, of bladder, 126 
bowels, 110 
nose, 81-85 
stomach, 105 
massage of nose for, 382 
Catarrhal Conditions, kinds and treatment of 

79-89 
Cervix, cancer of, 351, 353 
curetting injures, 223 
description of, 190 
laceration of, see Laceration 
miscarriage from disease of, 332 
operations on, injure, 256 
retroversion affects, 264 
treatment of, see Womb 



VIA VI HYGIENE 



413 



Change of Life, cancer at, from laceration, 
327,353 
diseases and treatment of, 338-42 
pruritus in, 245 
ovariotomy forces, 281 
sec Cinccr 
Childbirth, calculating time of, 303 
comfort in, 312 
invalidism from, 325 
laceration in, 309 
menstruation after, 251 
see Pregnancy 

womb enlarged from, 248, 250 
Children, development of, 182-7 
diseases of, overcome, 147 
eyes diseased in, 140, 143 
heredity and environment affect, 14 
neglect of, by parents, 149-154, 157 
pruritus in, 245 
see Girls 

Viavi Royal for, 395 
Chlorosis, nature and treatment of, 231, 233 
Circulation, baths promote, 400-409 
compresses assist, 374-8 
displacements obstruct, 258 
fetal, 308 

pregnancy affects, 303 
rubbing aids, 372 
see Blood 

Varicose Veins 
tumors from poor, 346 
uterine, 254 
see Catarrh 
Compresses, Japanese, 385 

on abdomen, chest, etc, 378, 382-6 
legs,^S6 
liver, 384, 386 
spine, 375-7, 384 
Aion, compresses for, 376-7 
nature of, 53-6 
of liver see Liver 
womb, 254 
Viavi treatment affects, 364 
Constipation, disease caused by, 108 
massage for, 380 
retroversion causes, 263 
see Bowels, Rectum 
Viavi laxative for, 393 
tablettes for, 392 
Consumption, 97-9 
. see Catarrh 
treatment for, 148 
Curetting, barrenness caused bv ,330 
evils of, 223 
. see Bladder 

DEAFNESS, catarrhal, treatment for, S7-8 
from other causes, 137-40 
tr, lent of, 110 
r., blood fed by, 47 
mind affected bv, 59 
process of, 100-2 
see Dyspepsia, Stomach, Bowels 
stimulants impair, 67 
sympathetic nerves control, 72 
Viavi tablettes for, 392 



Disease (in general), barrenness caused by, 336 

constipation causes, 108 

divorce caused by, 177 

dyspepsia causes, 102 

exercise in, 21-7 

incurable, 363 

insanity from pregnancy in, 305 

men afflicted with, 63-71 

menstrual anomalies cause, 218 

Nature alone cures, 27 
punishes with, 13 

nerves affected by, 40, 60 

ovariotomy causes, 281 

sleep in, 21-7 
Displacements of Womb, massage for, 380 

inflammation caused by, 248, 254 

kinds and treatment of, 258, 271 

laceration causes, 325 

miscarriage caused by, 332 

ovaritis caused by, 276 

Sivorce, causes of, 177 
ry Salt Rub, 403 
Douches, appliances for, 401-10 

nasal, for catarrh, 391, 410 

rectal, 398-9 

rubbing table for, 388 

temperature of, 410 

vaginal, 3S8-390 
Drugs, habit of using, 25 

sleep from, unnatural, 75 
Dysmenorrhea, kinds and treatment of, 201-17 
Dyspepsia, -catarrh causes, 67 

causes and treatment of, 102-5 

stimulants cause, 67 

see Stomach 

Viavi tablettes for, 392 
Ears, catarrh affects, 87 

diseases and treatment of, 137 
Education, Viavi gives, 178 
Endometritis, see Womb 
Environment, influence of, 17 
Epilepsy, in girls, 232 
Eustachian Tubes, see chapter on Catarrhal 

Conditions 
Excretion, nature of, 57 
Exercise, uses and effects of, 21, 30 
Eyes, diseases and treatment of, 140-4 

FALLOPIAN TUBES, barrenness from 
disease of, 336 

curetting injures, 223 

description of, 189-90 

diseases and treatment of, 272-4 

massage for, 379 

pregnancy in, 304 

uterine prolapsus affects, 267 
Fathers, duty of, 149-54, 161 
Fistula, see Return 
Flooding, causes and treatment of, 213-17 

change of life and, 340 
Foot Baths, directions for, 407 

r ALL STONES, sec Liver 

Gastritis, treatment of, 105 
Generative Organs of Women, 188-94 



414 



INDEX 



Generative Organs, sensitiveness of, 247 

treatment of, 257 
Girls, barrenness from neglect of, 336 

chlorosis in, 231 

development of, 182-7 

epilepsy in, 232 

father's duty to, 161, 171 

instruction of, 180, 227, 230 

menstruation suppressed by, 228 

neglect of, 178 

non-development of, 227 

suicide of, 230 

Viavi treatment for, 231 
Green Sickness, see Chlorosis 



H 



ABITS, regular, essential, 325 



Hay Fever, causes and treatment of, 88-9 

massage of nose for, 382 
Health, blood determines, 46 

exercise affects, 21 
Heart, description of, 48 
Hemorrhage from Womb, 213 

compress for checking, 383 

douches for checking, 390 
Heredity, children affected by, 14 
Hernia, causes of, 299 

INDIGESTION, see Dyspepsia 

Infants, born healthy, 306, 311 

diseases of, overcome, 147 

development of, 183 

eyes diseased in, 140, 143-4 

mother's conduct affects, 322-3 

nourishment of, 318-23 

pregnant mother affects, 302 
Inflammation, general, causes and kinds of, 
53-6, 255 

effects of, 40, 54-6 

Viavi's effect on, 364 
Insanity, disease causes, 59 

menstrual troubles cause, 202 

pregnancy with disease causes, 264 

retroversion causes, 305 

see Mind 

TAUNDICE, see Liver 



KIDNEYS, anteversion affects, 261 
cold compress over, 384 
diseases and treatment of, 126-7 
uterine tumors affect, 347 
Viavi liquid for, 392 

LACERATION OF CERVIX, cancer from, 
352 

causes and treatment of, 324-30 

childbirth and, 309 

curetting causes, 223 

perineal, 329 
Lactation (giving milk), 318-23 
Legs, compress for, 386 
Leucorrhea, anteversion causes, 261 

barrenness caused by, 336 

cancer arising from, 353 



Leucorrhea, causes and treatment of, 236-40 

change of life complicated with, 339 

girls have, 228 

miscarriage caused by, 332 

ovaritis causes, 277 

pruritus caused by, 245 

retroflexion causes, 265 

retroversion causes, 264 
Life, source and uses of, 11 
Liver, cancer of, 354 

compress on, 386 

diseases and treatment of, 123-5 

Viavi tablettes for, 392 
Locomotor Ataxia, cause of, 69 
Lungs, blood purified by, 49, 90 
of, 90-9 



MARRIAGE, effects of, 151 
meaning of, 177-9 
Massage, directions for, of abdomen, 378-81 
chest, 378 
ears, 382 
kidneys, 381 
liver, 381 
nose, 382 
perineum, 381 
throat, 382 
Mastoid disease, 140 
Maternity, see Barrenness 
Men, morals of, 65 

nervous debility in, 63-71 
piles in, 113-15 
sterility of, 335 
Viavi Royal for, 397 
women helped by, 157-77 
Menopause, see Change of Lffe 
Menstruation, abnormal after childbirth, 251 
absent, 218-22 
anteversion affects, 261 
anteflexion affects, 262 
beginning of, 185 
breasts affected by, 358 
cancer indicated in, 352 
change of life in painful, 339 
description of normal, 195-200 
girls suppress, 228 
ovaritis causes painful, 277 
from suppressed, 276 
painful, 201-17 
pregnancy and, 303 
retroflexion affects, 265 
vicarious, 234 

womb enlarged from suppression of, 248 
Metritis, see Womb 
Mind, disease affects, 16, 59-62 

menstrual anomalies affect, 202 
milk affected by, 322 
ovaritis affects, 264 
pregnancy affects, 305 
retroversion affects, 264 
Miscarriage, causes and treatment of, 331-4 
evils of, 250 
ovaritis caused by, 276 
womb inflamed from, 248 
Mucous Membrane, absorption by, 390 
diseases of, 79-89 



VIAVI HYGIENE 



415 



"\* ARQOTICS, injury from using, 23-7 

Nature, habit used by, 34 

punishes, 12, 150 

Viavi treatment and, 363 
Nerves, barrenness from weak, 336 

baths affect, 407 

circulation governed by, 46 

congestion from weak, 54, 254 

disease affects, 40 

of girls, shattered, 232 
uterine organs, 194 

operations injure, 280 

pregnancy affects, 305 

stimulants injure, 66-7 

sunshine affects, 30 

sympathetic system of, 72 
Nervous Debility, 63-71 

treatment for, 70 

Viavi Royal for, 395 
Nervous System, debility of, 63 

description of, 38-11 

disease affects, 60 

drugs injure, 24 

lactation depends on, 320 

menstrual anomalies affect, 202-3 

menstruation controlled bv, 196 

Viavi affects, 61, 70 

work of, 24 
Non-development, causes and treatment of, 
227-35 

massage for, 379-80 
Nose, catarrh of, 81-7 

douche for, 391 

ozena of, 84 
- polypi in, 86 

Viavi cerate on, 382 

Viaw liquid in, 391 



OPERATION'S, abdominal walls weakened 
by, 297 
adhesions treated by, 295 
cancer caused by, 169-70 
fashions in, 165 
for cancer, effect of, 354 

dysmenorrhea, 210-11 
displacements not cured by, 256, 259 
injurv from, 280 
necessary, 166, 278 
on rectum, 122 

ovaries, 276-8 
peritonitis from, 289 
prevention of, 168 
unnecessary, 163, 277-9, 283, 343 

menorrhea caused by, 219 
barrenness from disease of, 336 
cancer from removal of, 170 

rimors of, 349 
description of, 191 
development of, 185 
disease from removal of, 281 
diseases and treatment of, 185 
dysmenorrhea from disease of, 208 
massage of, 379 
menopause affects, 338 



Ovaries, non-development of, 229 
pregnancy brings rest to, 310 
removed for dysmenorrhea, 211 
tumor affects, 346 
uterine prolapsus affects, 267 

Ovariotomy, see Ovaries 

Ovaritis, see Ovaries 

Ozena, 84, see Catarrh 



PARALYSIS, cause of, 69 
children's, 147 
Parents' Responsibility, 149 
Paresis, cause of, 69 
Pelvis, description of, 188 
Perineum, laceration of, 329 

massage of, 381 
Peritoneum, description of, 188 

diseases and treatment of, 288-97 

see Adhesions 
Pessaries, effects of using, 271, 276 

vaginitis from, 241 
Piles, causes and treatment of, 113-15 
Placenta, see Pregnancy 
Pleurisy, nature and treatment of, 95-7 
Pneumonia, nature and treatment of, 93-5 
Polypus, of nose, 88 

see Tumors 
Pregnancv, description and treatment of, 
302-15 

menstruation and, 219 

see Miscarriage, 331-35 

womb's conduct in, 256 
Prolapsus, position for treating uterine, 269 

see Rectum, Womb, Vagina 
Pruritus, see Rectum, Vagina 
Puberty, in girls, 185 

non-development in, 226-35 



RECTUM, cancer of, 354 
diseases and treatment of, 112-22, 397- 

400 
retroversion injures, 263 
Refluent Tube, 389 
Rest, uses of, 21 
Retroflexion, 265 
Retroversion, 263-5 

position for treating, 269 
Rubbing Table, directions for making, 388 
Rupture, causes of, 299 
treatment of, 301 



SALPINGITIS (inflammation of Fallopian 
Tubes), causes and treatment of, 
272-4 
Scrotum, cancer of, 354 
Secretion, explanation of, 56 
Sex, origin of, 182 
Sitz Baths, directions for, 406 
Skin, baths affect, 400-406 
Sleep, see Insomnia 

uses of, 21-30, 72 
Spine, cerate on, 374-8 
compresses on, 375-8 



416 



INDEX 



Spine, description of, 41-5 

douches on, 376 

sun bath for, 377 
Sprains, treatment for, 146 
Sterility, see Barrenness 
Stimulants, use of, 66, 395 
Stomach, cancer of, 354 

diseases and treatment of, 100-107 
Stricture, of rectum, 120 
Subinvolution, see Inflammation of Womb,247 
Suicide, disease causes, 153, 202, 230 
Sun Bath, directions for, 406 
Sunshine, value of, 28 
Suppository, see Viavi 
Surgery, see Operations 



T 



AMPONS, for displacements, 270 



Throat, spraying of, 391 
Tuberculosis of lungs, 97-9 
Tumors, barrenness caused by, 336 

change of life develops, 340 

kinds and treatment of, 343 

rectal, 121 

vaginal pruritus caused by, 245 



U 



LCERATION, inflammation leads to, 55 



Ulcers, varicose, 134-6 
Urethra, ante version affects, 261 

diseases and treatment of, 131-3 
Uterine Organs, description of, 189-95 
Uterus, see Womb 

VAGINA, barrenness caused bv disease of, 
336 
cancer of, 354 
description of, 189 
diseases and treatment of, 241-6 
douches for, 388-90 
uterine prolapsus affects, 266 
Vapor Bath, 404 

for legs and feet, 408 
Varicose Veins, causes and treatment of, 134-6 
Viavi, capsule and its uses, 386-8 
cerate and its application, 3C8 
on abdomen, chest, etc., 378 
ears, 382 
kidneys, 381 
liver, 381 
lungs, 381 
nose, 382 
spleen, 381 
throat, 382 
spine, 374 
stomach, 381 
forms of, 362 
iron tonic, uses of, 394 



Viavi laxative, uses of, 393 

liquid, in vaginal douches, 390 
uses of, 390 

Royal, uses of, 395 

suppository, uses of, 397 

tablettes, uses of, 397 

varying quantities of, 367 
Viavi System of Treatment, absorption em- 
ployed by, 58 

adjuncts to, 409 

basis of, 62 

blood affected by, 41 

explanation of, 362-6 

natural sleep from using, 27 

nerves strengthened by, 69 

operations prevented by, 168 

symptoms from using, 367 



WOMB, barrenness caused bv tumors of, 
336 
cancer from removal of, 170 

indicated by bleeding of, 352 
cancer of, 354 
curetting of, 223 
description of, 189-90 
displacements of, 258-71 
dysmenorrhea from disease of, 206-9 
enlargement of, 254-7 
hemorrhage from, 213 
inflammation of, 247-53 
laceration of unhealthy, 324 

enlarges, 325 
leucorrhea from, 237 
massage for, 378-80 
menopause affects, 338 
menstruation from, 197-8 
miscarriage caused by disease of, 338 
operations on, injure, 328 
pessaries injure, 271 
pregnancy changes, 304-8 
Women, barrenness of, 335 

change of life critical for, 338 
child-bearing power in, 311, 335 
disease common among, 228 

impairs, 174 

underrated by, 172 
generative organs of, 188-94 
insanity among, 59 
men can help, 157-77 
menstrual anomalies affect, 195, 201 
miscarriage readier with some, 331 

injures, 333 
operations urged on, 279, 344 
pregnancy places obligations on, 302 

profoundly affects, 304 
protection of, 167 
Worms, pruritus caused by, 245 



OCT 16 1903 



